Berkley Center

There are certain performances expected of the migrant: visa interviews, airport compliances, gratitude for the host country—and performances carried out by the state: immigration quotas, enhanced security measures, bodily and technological surveillance—that make up the reality of modern migration. In this class, students analyzed migration stories and policy through an intersectional performance studies lens. They explored questions of borders, nationalism, and security made real through performative acts. Class participants also considered the ethics of migratory representation and complexities of transitory borderlands identities. Through a combination of classroom discussion, performance viewings, ethnographic research assignments, guest artist workshops, and creative projects, students embarked on a multidisciplinary journey to understand the social and political issues of modern migration. Each assignment is paired with a reflective paper that invited the students to consider their process and the ethics of migratory storytelling, and allowed students to engage in a research process, build their dialogic skills, and creatively tell underrepresented narratives. This course (TPST-235) was taught by Devika Ranjan as a Doyle Seminar in spring 2021. Please refer to the current course catalog for an up-to-date description of the course.