| Unit name | Migration and Labour Exploitation in the Global Economy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0160 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Dias-Abey |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The growing migrant populations in the UK, North America, Europe and Australasia continue to generate discussion and debate. Whilst concerns with migration in the Global North range across several dimensions, one of the enduring anxieties remains the impact that migrant workers can have on local labour markets. What has received less attention in these discussions is the working lives of migrants, who often labour in occupations and industries characterised by low wages and poor working conditions. Migrants are also often subject to various forms of exploitation. This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of how migrant vulnerability is generated through a combination of legal and economic structures and what legal reforms might improve the situation. We examine a range of national, international and transnational legal regimes. As well drawing on legal analysis, this unit engages with the insights from other disciplines such as sociology and economics.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Examining the situation of migration workers provides us an entry point to consider the relationships between migration, work, law and capitalism. This unit is open to all LLM students who are interested in learning more about these issues and how they interrelate. It will appeal particularly to those on the LLM Employment, Work and Equality and LLM Human Rights Law pathways.
An overview of content
We begin the unit by exploring the different meanings of ‘labour exploitation’. Students will learn about a range of internationally recognised human rights and labour standards that regulate the treatment of migrant workers and the situations of those subject to extreme form of exploitation (i.e., those suffering from slavery, servitude and forced labour). The unit will use in-depth case studies of particular workers, such as agricultural and domestic workers, to make deeper sense of the material covered.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will be equipped with the conceptual skills to critically analyse contemporary controversies relating to migration and work and understand their legal and economic dimensions. Students will also leave this unit with a solid understanding of the legal norms governing migrant work.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, a successful student will be able to:
The unit will also require directed and self-directed learning, which will include activities such as reading materials included in the unit’s reading list, accessing web-based supplementary materials, critical analysis, completion of tasks for in-seminar presentation, and completion of assessments.
Students will be expected to have completed the required reading set for each seminar, which will involve interactive learning. In doing so, students should give thought to how they might use the reading material to answer any questions set in advance. Seminars will give students the opportunity to discuss the issues and questions set for each topic in small and large groups. Exercises will be set either prior to or in the seminar, which may involve ‘problem question’ scenarios or other group work designed to generate class debate. The aim of the tutor will be to provide structure for discussion and to highlight the various concerns and difficulties arising in relation to various aspects of law and policy. Further reading will be provided which is designed to enable students to build upon the reading given in seminars.
In this way, students will be aware of the kinds of issues that they might discuss in response to the topics set for formative assessment and the related essay questions they will answer in their summative assessment. They will gain confidence addressing and assessing differences of opinion between various policy actors, practitioners and scholars, as reflected in legislation, international instruments, cases, policy documents and academic comment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative assessments will come in many forms such as informal questioning, group exercises and asynchronous activities on Blackboard (our virtual learning platform). These will contribute to your learning and will not count towards your final mark.
In addition, three topics (which will be relevant for the summative assessment coursework) will be released early in the teaching block. You will then be required to submit in the middle of the teaching block an essay plan and 500 words of the introduction relating to one of three topics set. Feedback will be returned to you later in the term to assist you with the completion of the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your assessment:
You will be required to submit a 4,000 word essay in response to one of four essay-style questions relating to three topics set (all seminars being of relevance to these topics). In preparation for your coursework, you will be expected to carry out research beyond the unit reading list and to build on the formative assessment rather than repeat its content. The assessment assesses all ILOs for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis with new assessment questions.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0160).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
