Queer migrations: constructing borders and deviance in 20th century Britain

What is the course about?

Taking an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, this course charts how borders and nations are constructed – physically and theoretically – in relation to gender, sexuality, race and other markers of identity.

Over the course, you’ll learn how restrictions on movement across borders have both cited and cemented hierarchies of “good” citizens and dangerous outsiders, in the UK and worldwide. Together, we’ll explore analytical texts by key queer and postcolonial theorists and migration scholars alongside primary sources, such as Bills, parliamentary debates and contemporary news reports to shed light on constructions of deviance, borders and other dividing line.

By the end of the course, you will have a keen understanding of how geopolitics, moral panics, and xenophobic and homophobic stigma have shaped “border imaginations” and immigration policies past and present – through implications and legacies still felt today.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

- Introduction: Sexing the nation
- “Deviant” bodies and moral panics
- Constructing “good gay” citizens
- LGBTIQ+ asylum: globalised identities and burdens of proof
- Crossings, resistance, solidarity – then and now.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- explain how immigration laws and policies have informed law, policy popular attitudes towards gender and sexuality over time
- understand borders and nationalism as constructed through discourse, law, policy and other operations of power
- understand and explain multiple key queer, feminist and postcolonial theories
- analyse media and legislative texts (i.e. government Acts and Bills)
- demonstrate familiarity with British history, law and policies particularly in relation to sexuality and migration.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is open to everyone, but will appeal especially to those keen to reflect critically on borders, migration, gender and sexuality. No particular knowledge of migration law is necessary – we will explore that together. A beginners level or above grasp of British history and society would be beneficial. Willingness to engage with theory is essential, but no prior experience is needed. The best preparation is readiness to engage in respectful, thoughtful discussion within a supportive classroom environment.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Your tutor will be Dr Siobhán McGuirk. Dr McGuirk is a researcher, educator, curator, journalist and filmmaker. Dedicated to using collaborative multimodal methods to create work with scholarly, social and political impact, her work addresses and explores the intersections of migration, queerness, creative praxis and social justice movements. www.siobhanmcguirk.com

Sessions will use mixed methods, including lecture-style presentations, individual writing in response to short prompts, small group work and whole class discussion. We will review and together analyse media clips, primary sources and short excerpts of accessible academic texts. Optional text extracts will be available each week for students keen to dig deeper into concepts outside of the classroom. Students have the option of sharing a presentation of their own analyses at the end of the course.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

No additional costs, but you may wish to bring pen and paper or a digital equivalent for notetaking.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Please ask your tutor for related courses.