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79768-01 - Seminar: Anthropology of the State – Migrants at the Margins and Centre? (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Lisa Marie Borrelli (lisamarie.borrelli@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This seminar will draw extensively on foundational literature in the anthropology of the state. We will begin by engaging with Veena Das and Deborah Poole's edited volume "Anthropology in the Margins of the State" (2004), which challenges traditional conceptualizations of the state and calls for an examination of how the state is experienced and negotiated at its margins. Additionally, we will delve into works that explore a relational approach to studying the state as it is enacted in various social domains and will engage with theories analysing the symbolic and performative dimensions of state power. Based on this, we will investigate the everyday practices and discretionary power of state actors in managing migration. Throughout the seminar, we will critically examine how these theoretical frameworks can be applied to understand the lived experiences of migrants, their interactions with state institutions, and the ways in which they navigate bureaucratic processes and paperwork. By doing so, we aim to unpack the complex interplay between the state, its margins, and the mobility of people. |
| Learning objectives | - Critically analyze the conceptual frameworks and key debates in the anthropology of the state - Understand how the state is experienced and negotiated by migrants through everyday practices, bureaucratic processes, and discretionary power - Develop a nuanced understanding of the symbolic and performative dimensions of state power and their impact on the lived experiences of migrants - Apply the theoretical insights gained from the seminar to critically examine and discuss current issues related to migration, mobility, and the role of the state |
| Bibliography | Some literature that we will have a look at could include: Adamson, F. B. (2024). Entangled migration states: Mobility and state-building in France and Algeria. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 50(3), 597–616. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2269774 Alpes, M. J. (2017). Papers That Work: Migration Brokers, State/Market Boundaries, and the Place of Law. PoLAR Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 40(2), 262–277. https://doi.org/DOI:%252010.1111/plar.12219 Baker, B. F. (2021). The economics of state violence: Explaining mass deportation. Economic Anthropology, 9(1), 125–136. https://doi.org/10.1002/sea2.12222 Borrelli, L. M., Johannesson, L., & Lindberg, A. (2025). Predictable patterns of unpredictability: A literature review of discretion in migration control. Political Research Exchange, 7(1), 2508374. https://doi.org/10.1080/2474736X.2025.2508374 Boswell, C., & Badenhoop, E. (2021). “What isn’t in the files, isn’t in the world”: Understanding state ignorance of irregular migration in Germany and the United Kingdom. Governance, 34(2), 335–352. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12499 Das, V., & Poole, D. (2004). Anthropology in the Margins of the State. Oxford University Press. Eule, T. G., Borrelli, L. M., Lindberg, A., & Wyss, A. (2019). Migrants Before the Law: Contested Migration Control in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan. Satzewich, V. (2014). Visa Officers as Gatekeepers of a State’s Borders: The Social Determinants of Discretion in Spousal Sponsorship Cases in Canada. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 40(9), 1450–1469. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2013.854162 Taussig, M. T. (1997). The magic of the state. Routledge. Thelen, T., Vetters, L., & Benda-Beckmann, K. von. (2017). Stategraphy. Toward a Relational Anthropology of the State. Berghahn. |
| Comments | Stats on Monday, September 14th. |
| Admission requirements | Die Teilnehmenden werden nach Fachrichtung, Studiengang und in der Reihenfolge ihrer Anmeldung auf die Liste gesetzt. Wer im Rahmen von Auslandaufenthalten und von Austauschprogrammen in Basel studiert wird unabhängig vom Listenplatz immer aufgenommen. Wer in der ersten Sitzung unentschuldigt fehlt, kann die Lehrveranstaltung nicht besuchen. Pro Lehrveranstaltung mit zwei Semesterwochenstunden sind maximal zwei entschuldigte Absenzen möglich. Siehe Merkblatt zum Umgang mit Absenzen und Sonderregelungen: https://kulturwissenschaft.philhist.unibas.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/kulturwissenschaft/Dokumente/Studium/Merkblaetter_allgemein/B_absenzen-sonderregelungen_24-01.pdf. |
| Course application | Anmelden bei lisamarie.borrelli@unibas.ch; Belegen auf services.unibas.ch |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-täglich | Monday | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 14.09.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 28.09.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 12.10.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 26.10.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 09.11.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 23.11.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Monday 07.12.2026 | 08.30-12.00 | Alte Universität, Seminarraum 207 |
| Modules |
Modul: Research Lab Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Modul: Theorien und Methodologien der Kulturanthropologie (Master's degree subject: Cultural Anthropology) Modul: Transfer: Europa interdisziplinär (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Module: Bodies, Objects, Circulation (Master's degree program: Changing Societies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Migration, Mobility and Transnationalism (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Theory and Themes of Social Anthropology (Master's degree subject: Social Anthropology) Specialization Module Global Europe: Work, Migration and Society (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Specialization Module Global Europe: Statehood, Development and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regelmässige und aktive Teilnahme. Erbringen der Leistungen im vereinbarten Zeitrahmen. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Kulturwissenschaft und Europäische Ethnologie |