Migration both reflects and produces social inequalities across countries of origin, transit, and destination. Children are disproportionately affected by the multiple crises that drive migration – including economic instability, climate change, armed conflict, violence, and war – while also experiencing disruptions in family life, education, health, and well-being throughout migration processes. Despite these challenges, children remain one of the world's most marginalized populations and continue to be underrepresented in migration research, data, and policy.
This seminar examines the diverse experiences of children growing up in contexts of migration and displacement, including migrant children, children of migrants, unaccompanied minors, refugee and asylum-seeking children, stateless and undocumented children, and children left behind by migrating parents. Drawing on the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies, the seminar explores children not only as subjects of vulnerability but also as active social actors who navigate and shape their everyday lives in complex migration contexts. Adopting a transnational perspective, the course examines research from different world regions and migration regimes, with particular attention to the social, educational, and institutional inequalities that shape children's lives.
- Teacher: Anne Carolina Ramos