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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PL/LAW 230"
COURSE NAME: "Human Rights"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Lyal Sunga
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment on Teams Meetings
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on understanding what human rights are and what are the challenges to their realization. Students will examine what specific protections ought to be granted to vulnerable groups, like women, children, stateless persons, refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. The special challenges related to the protection of human rights in an age of globalization, and the challenges to human rights protection posed by terrorism and its consequences are also analyzed. An interdisciplinary approach will be used to examine different cases and understand the main human rights issues at stake.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course critically examines the origins and concepts of human rights, its historical development in foreign policy, enshrinement in the United Nations Charter and the rise, role, strengths and weaknesses of human rights implementation at international, regional and domestic levels. To appreciate why and how human rights matters in today’s world, the course explores the flawed universality of human rights in law and practice, the impact of international human rights law at the local level, its relation to democratic governance and the rule of law, and current efforts to roll back and undermine human rights. The course highlights some religious and philosophic notions of rights, then concentrates on human rights as legally enforceable norms against the abuse of State power, human rights in the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the phenomenon of entrenched patriarchic resistance to the human rights of women and feminist perspectives, the elaboration of UN and regional human rights norms and implementation, and the nexus between international human rights law to national human rights implementation. The course also explores genocide, torture, racial discrimination, freedom of religion or belief, gender equality, rights of refugees, and the full panoply of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights developed to protect and promote human dignity. Students should be well prepared to discuss current issues relating to national security and privacy, freedom of speech, rights of refugees and migrants as these news stories unfold in real time. Finally, the course places human rights into the context of democratic governance and the rule of law and relates human rights to the fields of international criminal law and laws of war.
- Religious
and Philosophical Notions of Human Dignity and Human Rights
- The Emergence
of Westphalian State Relations, Minority Rights and Freedom of Religion
- Enlightenment
Individualism, Liberalism and Socialist Contributions
- Feminist
Perspectives, the Human Rights of Women and the Girl Child and Gender Equality
- World
War Two: How and Why Human Rights became a Matter of International Legal Concern
- The
UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Multilateral Human
Rights Treaties
- Genocide,
Racial Discrimination, Gender Equality, Torture, Arbitrary Detention,
Summary Executions
- The
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- The
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- The UN
and Regional Systems of Human Rights Promotion and Protection
- Does
International Human Rights Translate into Reality at Local Levels?
- Current
Issues in Human Rights: Universality, National Security and Privacy, Free
Speech, Violence against Women, Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Refugees
and Migrants
- Relationship
among Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
- Human
Rights, Armed Conflict and International Criminal Law
- Review
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Solid introductory level
knowledge of the development, principles and application of human rights
law
- Appreciation of political
factors that condition human rights promotion and protection
- Enhanced capacity to identify and
analyze current situations involving human rights issues
- Understanding of strengths and weaknesses
of human rights law, implementation and advocacy
- Development of analytical and argumentation skills
on current human rights issue
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TEXTBOOK:
Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction: Second Edition | Andrew Clapham | Oxford | 9780198706168 | | | Hard Copy | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
Midterm exam | Exam comprising several essay questions | 20% |
Research Outline | Timely Submission of Topic, Outline and Concept of the Research Paper (2-3 pages) | 10% |
Research Paper | 10 to 12-page paper on a human rights issue of around 4000 words / with clear, accurate and complete footnotes | 30% |
Final Examination | Comprehensive exam essay questions for the final exam. | 40% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course. BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments. CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings. DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail. FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until 11-14 December 2020
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Required: Andrew Clapham, Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction: Second Edition, Oxford (2015)
(197 p
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