In this course we have so far followed the experiences of a rather privileged traveler, a white, highly-educated male whose main fear was that his pseudonym might be uncovered. As we engage with what he saw, how he evaluated the sites, attractions, and people, it’s easy to forget that traveling is always connected with borders and boundaries. Goethe encountered mild versions of that when he is suspected to be a spy by the villagers at Lake Garda. He can talk himself out of trouble by referring to his native country and home town, Germany and Frankfurt, respectively, and by the authority and privilege these names evoke.
Such has been the privilege of the white European traveler through the centuries. We can still witness this phenomenon today, where millions of North Americans and Europeans, the majority of them white and affluent, plan their vacations in regions that are usually “south” of their living and work places. They board chartered flights, travel by car, use trains to get their and expect that their passports, visas, and tickets guarantee unhindered travel.
It’s a rather different picture when we look at the situation in reverse: People who travel to escape poverty, war, and persecution are not called travelers, they become migrants or refugees. And with this relabeling the borders become greater hurdles as well. What looks like a universal right to travel quickly reveals itself to be a very tiered system of international movement, with those in greatest need to move to a safe place encountering the biggest obstacles.
I invite you to join a reflection and discussion on this topic in the context of the current European migration crisis and its global implications. Faculty from history, political science, religious studies, ethnography/human rights, and German Studies (yes, your’s truly) will offer brief perspectives and then invite comments and questions from the audience. Join the discussion already now by sharing experiences, stories, newspaper links etc. under #agnesglobal.
When: Tuesday, September 22, 5-6pm
Where: Lower Evans Dining Hall, Agnes Scott College
Here’s the poster:
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