Insegnamento a.a. 2019-2020

30482 - HUMAN RIGHTS

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
BIG (6 credits - I sem. - OBS  |  SPS/04)
Course Director:
GIUNIA VALERIA GATTA

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: GIUNIA VALERIA GATTA


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

This course aims at understanding human rights as embedded in specific historical circumstances, and looks at their codification in international law as the product of heated political debates.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course is articulated in three interlocking learning units.

  1. In the first one, historical, we trace the genealogy of the concept paying particular attention to its continuity or discontinuity with respect to the notion of natural law, and we focus on the birth of the “human rights regime.”
  2. In the second, we look at specific cases, and in the third we look at critical readings of human rights as possibly an instrument for “Western hegemony,” or as inadequate in other ways.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Know the content of the most important documents in the “human rights regime".
  • Understand the path that lead to the formulation of these documents and the significance of debates on universality. 
  • Understand the political stakes behind the affirmation of one formulation or another.

 

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Have an informed opinion about the foundation of human rights, if any.
  • Become (more) aware of your political beliefs on human rights and of the histories and struggles behind them.
  • Develop an enduring intellectual and political interest in this concept (whether as an advocate or a critic, or both) that is rooted in knowledge about its development, historical background, and founding documents.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Individual assignments
  • Group assignments

DETAILS

  • We apply theoretical knowledge acquired to the study of relevant cases.
  • Attending students have the opportunity to earn extra credit via individual and group assignments.

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  x x
  • Individual assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
x    
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
x    

Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Materials are available at the Egea Bookstore and on reserve at the library by August 2019.

Last change 01/06/2019 16:44