Human Rights

Christie Lam (Graduate School of Human Sciences)

Course Objective
   The course will first provide a general historical, theoretical and institutional review of human rights concepts and approaches. Then, it will illustrate critical perspectives and debates on human rights. In particular the debate on universal human rights and cultural relativism will be introduced. In 1947, the American Anthropological Association objected to the proposed Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). When the promotion of human rights is universally accepted, its implementation often clashes with local traditions. Through a critical analysis of contemporary case studies, students are encouraged to rethink some crucial questions: Are the norms of human rights a product of Western societies? Do human rights and democracy represent just another strategy for Western societies to impose their views on other people? Does the employment of rigid notions of 'culture' and 'tradition' in human rights issues further reinforce social inequalities? Why has international human rights as a political form failed to stem large-scale, organized violence? To what extent, the promotion of international human rights improves the welfare status of social disadvantage groups?
  
   We will explore these questions with detailed analyses of recent human rights issues (but not limited to) including asylum seekers, death penalty, gender inequality, children rights and genocide in Rwanda. We question why the spread of a human rights culture cannot stop the emergence of violence/conflicts all over the world. We also examine the implications for human rights regarding the emergence of terrorism and globalization. The course intends to facilitate students' learning to critically examine the problems of promoting human rights at the local and international level. At the end of the course, students are able to develop their view on whether there is validity for 'universal human rights' in our multicultural world.
  
   By the end of this course students should be able to:

• explain the main theoretical concepts of human rights and approaches;
• be familiar with the relevant international human rights laws and the major international machinery to human rights protection;
• develop solid knowledge of the emergence of new forms of international relations centered on human rights discourses such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, international justice trials, etc.;
• analyze the key debates about the universality and relevance of human rights;
• critically examine human rights violation issues in the global and local context;
• develop an awareness of the importance of human rights and dignity in a global context;
• develop commitment to social justice;
• read critically various perspectives and produce well argued assignments;
• improve various generic skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership through constant class discussion and presentation assignments.

Course Content
   Week 1 Overview to Human Rights and to the Course
   Week 2 Overiew to Human Rights Law I
   Week 3 Overview of Human Rights Law II
   Week 4 Human Rights Origins from Western Culture
   Week 5 Universalism and Cultural Relativis: the Case of China
   Week 6 Refugees I
   Week 7 Refugees II
   Week 8 The Right to Life: Death Penalty
   Week 9 Women Rights I
   Week 10 Women Rights II
   Week 11 Children Rights - Should Child Labor be tolerated?
   Week 12 Genocide I
   Week 13 Genocide II
   Week 14 Terrorism, Torture and Human Rights
   Week 15 Review: The Future of Human Rights

Class Plan
   The class will consist of lectures, group discussions, case studies and practical exercises. Small group discussions and class activities will follow the lectures. Classes are interactive and students will need to be able to read the required reading so as to participate fully in class discussions. Also, throughout the course, recent human rights issues will be discussed in lectures and class exercise. This teaching approach intends to students' critical understanding of human rights concepts and practices in our society and at the international level.

Textbooks
   There is no 'set' textbook required for this course.
   Readings (including book chapters / journal articles) will be released during the first week's lecture. Meanwhile, all students are required to prepare a set of human rights-related conventions which we will cover in the course.

Grading Policy

• Class Participation & Leading Discussion 20%
• Reflection papers 20%
• Research paper 40%
• Quiz 20%