Ethnic and Racial Studies/Race, Ethnicity, Conflict. – (M.Phil.)

Contents

his programme provides specialist training in the field of race, ethnicity and conflict studies.

The programme has four components:

* i) Core courses: race and ethnicity, theoretical concepts; researching race and ethnicity.
* ii) Seven one-term courses: migration studies; ethnicity and social policy; conflict resolution, governmentality, Ireland; human rights and international issues; race, ethnicity, migration: gender perspectives; migration and the European labour market; visual culture(s) (topics can vary from year to year).
* iii) A 20,000 word dissertation on any approved topic relating to race, ethnicity and conflict.

This full time 12 months postgraduate interdisciplinary programme, located within the Department of Sociology, offers students rigorous training and develops expertise in all aspects of race and ethnicity, migration and racism. The course aims to provide a base for specialist research in the areas of race, ethnicity and conflict studies by offering theory, substantive and research methods training.

Working methods

The course consists of three elements - mandatory theory and research methodology core courses (30 credits), elective modules (30 credits) and 20,000 words dissertation (30 credits). Students are asked to choose from the elective modules to make up 30 credits in the first week in consultation with the course coordinator.

Each of the core courses and elective modules are taught in two-hour interactive seminar slots, comprising a lecturing input and student participation and formal and informal presentations. Students are allocated specific readings in advance of the sessions and are presented with topics for discussion and critique. The modules described below are assessed by individual essays or written group presentations. Students are allocated dissertation supervisors and are expected to work on their dissertation starting from the Trinity Term. Dissertations are submitted at the end of September each year.

Student intake

Students include recent EU and non EU graduates, as well as public sector and NGO employees.

Teaching staff

Teaching staff come mostly from the Department of Sociology, but are also drawn from other TCD departments as well as NGOs (e.g., Irish Council of Civil Liberties staff who teach the Human Rights module), and other universities (we have an exchange programme with the Centre for Transcultural Research and Media Practice, School of Media, Dublin Institute of Technology, whose staff teach the Visual cultures module).

Learning outcomes Upon completion of the programme, students are expected to:

* derive, explain and critically evaluate debates on race, ethnicity and conflict regarding social change in relation to migration and post-conflict societies on Irish, European and global levels
* identify, understand and critically evaluate theoretical and research literature in the field of race, ethnicity, conflict and migration
* apply and compare different research methods in these fields
* conduct independent research of a theoretical or substantive nature in specific fields of ethnic and racial studies
* write theses and research reports to a professional standard
* communicate that research through oral presentations for an academic audience
* perform problem solving in academic and policy contexts
* be qualified to work in policy and research in this field in Ireland and abroad.

Assessment and completion

Assessment is on a pass or fail basis. Prior to writing their dissertations, students have to complete all module assignments. Upon completion of the programme, students are awarded a Masters of Philosophy in Race, Ethnicity, Conflict.

Access to course modules

The MPhil modules will be made available to PhD students registering with the Department of Sociology researching topics of race, ethnicity, conflict and migration.