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Advanced study course: Human Rights

Semester
E2019
Subject
Public Administration * / Global Studies * / International Development Studies * / Politics and Administration * / International Public Administration and Politics *
Activitytype
master course
Teaching language
English
Registration

Tilmelding sker via STADS-Selvbetjening indenfor annonceret tilmeldingsperiode, som du kan se på Studieadministrationens hjemmeside.

Når du tilmelder dig kurset, skal du være opmærksom på, om der er sammenfald i tidspunktet for kursusafholdelse og eksamen med andre kurser, du har valgt. Uddannelsesplanlægningen tager udgangspunkt i, at det er muligt at gennemføre et anbefalet studieforløb uden overlap. Men omkring valgfrie elementer og studieplaner som går ud over de anbefalede studieforløb, kan der forekomme overlap, alt efter hvilke kurser du vælger.

Registration through STADS-Selvbetjeningwithin the announced registration period, as you can see on the Studyadministration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts between courses or exam dates on courses. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programs which do not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programs, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

Ved for få tilmeldte aflyses kurset.

In case of too few registrations, the course will be cancelled.

Detailed description of content

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria:

Ability to understand the changes from an international to a transnational & global rights regime as a theoretical tool into the study of human rights. In-depth understanding of human rights as an idea, a set of laws and a political resource as well as an example of the globalization of law. Ability to analyze various political and cultural interpretations and criticisms of human rights. Ability to understand the normative content of human rights and use this in the analysis of concrete cases. Ability to understand the institutional instruments within human rights law and to use this understanding in the analysis of concrete cases.

The course combines literature to be read in advance with small overview lectures and active exercises and discussions that apply the theoretical and normative frameworks analytically to concrete policy problems. It is an advantage that participants have passed one of the general law courses offered within the department (public law, EU-law, sociology of law).

Human Rights are an example of the political, normative and legal discourses in the globalisation of law. These discourses are both normatively idealized as universal; pragmatically supported for their ability to deliver solutions to concrete problems – and challenged for their undermining of national sovereignty. The course aims at highlighting how human Rights function both in politics, law, society and as a discourse. It is therefore central in the course to meet practitioners from these four contexts.

The course combines analysis of the political discourses guiding struggles over hierarchies of rights and possibilities with knowledge about legal instruments in use in the globalisation of law (treaties, courts and other dispute resolution systems, monitoring systems, and interpretation of general norms).

Expected work effort (ECTS-declaration)

10 ECTS course. The workload for the course is 270 hours, divided as follows: Attending lectures and seminars: 26 hours Preparing lectures: 100 hours Preparing seminars: 100 hours Attending and preparing for exam: 44 hours

Course material and Reading list

Ilias Bantekas and Lutz Oette: International Human Rights and Practice, Cambridge University Press, 2013 David P. Forsythe: Human Rights in international Relations. Cambridge University Press, 2018 T

The course literature will also include journal articles and book chapters; information on this is given on Moodle.

Evaluation- and feedback forms

The course format is a combination of lectures, giving an overview over the literature, and seminars where we focus on Human Rights conflicts seen from a certain perspective (the lawyer, the Human Rights institute, a civil society organisation, and the foreign ministry).

As preparation for the lectures, students are expected to study the suggested literature. The lectures will take form as a combination of overview over the literature and discussion of central dimensions of the literature.

As preparation for each seminar, students and teachers will study case law, studying material from the Institute, studying current civil society conflicts and studying international political papers on human rights. Material for the seminars will be uploaded/linked to on Moodle.

Cases in relation to the seminars will produce at least half of the exam questions. Other exam questions are based on certain aspects of the literature.

Administration of exams
ISE Studyadministration (ise-studyadministration@ruc.dk)
Responsible for the activity
Lisbet B. Christoffersen (lic@ruc.dk)
Type of examination

Type of examination:

Individual oral examination.

The examination is based on one or more randomly drawn questions from a list of questions that the students have been made familiar with beforehand.

The student will begin the examination with a brief presentation, after which the examination is conducted as a dialogue.

During the examination, questions can be asked regarding the entire syllabus. Preparation time, including drawing the question: 30 minutes. Time allowed for examination including time used for assessment 30 minutes.

Permitted support and preparation materials: Course material and own notes.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale. Moderation: Internal co-assessor.

ECTS
10
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
  • Specialised knowledge and understanding of a particular topic within one of the three pillars in Global Studies

  • Advanced knowledge of academic and methodological debates related to the subject

  • Skills in selecting and critically applying relevant theories and methods

  • Skills in choosing relevant theories in order to investigate a problem area

  • Skills in communicating and discussing theories and empirical results

  • Competences in assuming responsibility for and reflecting on own learning and that of fellow students by actively participating in group work, presentations and discussions

  • Competences in critically, independently and creatively selecting and utilising academic literature relevant to a specific research question

Overall content

The objective of the advanced study course is to provide students with advanced knowledge and understanding within a specific research area covered by one of the three pillars in Global Studies: Global Politics, Global Sociology and Global Political Economy. At least two advanced study courses will be offered per semester. The courses offered will change every semester within the following subjects:

Global Politics:

  • International public sector organisations and global governance
  • Regionalisation and regional integration in international politics
  • International security
  • International law and human rights

Global Sociology:

  • International Mobility and information flow
  • International political movements and social change
  • International civil society, law and defence
  • Contentious identities and new global actors

Global Political Economy:

  • Work and globalization
  • Natural resources and geopolitics
  • Trade, investment and global production networks
  • International Financial Economics
Teaching and working methods

The courses are based on lectures, but will also include other teaching and working methods such as group work, exercises, student presentations, peer feedback and field trips or guest lectures as well as other practical activities.

Type of course

Optional course

Exam code(s)
Exam code(s) : U40340
Last changed 28/08/2019

lecture list:

Show lessons for Subclass: 1 Find calendar (1) PDF for print (1)

Tuesday 10-09-2019 10:15 - 10-09-2019 12:00 in week 37
Global Law with Human Rights: Introduction to Human Rights as Norms, Politics, Law, and Practices.

Tuesday 17-09-2019 10:15 - 17-09-2019 12:00 in week 38
Global Law with Human Rights: The UN charter system, the European and other regional treaty systems: which are the norms and where do we find them?

Tuesday 24-09-2019 10:15 - 24-09-2019 12:00 in week 39
Global Law with Human Rights: Visit from the Foreign Ministry, office for human rights: How does Denmark ratify, implement and live up to the HR-norms?

Tuesday 01-10-2019 10:15 - 01-10-2019 12:00 in week 40
Global Law with Human Rights: Application of Human Rights Standards – Globally and Locally

Tuesday 08-10-2019 10:15 - 08-10-2019 12:00 in week 41
Global Law with Human Rights: Civil and Political Rights exemplified by Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Religion, The Right to Privacy and Family Life, and the Prohibition on Discrimination.

Tuesday 15-10-2019 10:15 - 15-10-2019 12:00 in week 42
Global Law with Human Rights: Visit to the Institute for Human Rights, Copenhagen

Tuesday 29-10-2019 10:15 - 29-10-2019 12:00 in week 44
Global Law with Human Rights: Human Rights and Counter Terrorism

Tuesday 05-11-2019 10:15 - 05-11-2019 12:00 in week 45
Global Law with Human Rights: Social and Economic Rights: Social Rights, Equality rights – individual vs collective rights

Tuesday 12-11-2019 10:15 - 12-11-2019 12:00 in week 46
Global Law with Human Rights: civil society organization

Tuesday 19-11-2019 10:15 - 19-11-2019 12:00 in week 47
Global Law with Human Rights: The Right to Development, a Healthy Environment, and Peace

Tuesday 26-11-2019 10:15 - 26-11-2019 12:00 in week 48
Global Law with Human Rights: Visit from the a practicing Lawyer Niels-Erik Hansen with experience of Human Rights litigation – discussion of implementing Human Rights standards by legal application

Tuesday 03-12-2019 10:15 - 03-12-2019 12:00 in week 49
Global Law with Human Rights: Human Rights in Non-democratic States, in Illiberal Democracies, and as a code for EU-membership

Tuesday 10-12-2019 10:15 - 10-12-2019 12:00 in week 50
Global Law with Human Rights: Human Rights as Transitional Justice

Tuesday 07-01-2020 08:15 - Thursday 09-01-2020 17:00 in week 02
Global Law with Human Rights (GB) - Exam (Oral)

Monday 10-02-2020 08:15 - Tuesday 11-02-2020 17:00 in week 07
Global Law with Human Rights (GB) - Reexam (Oral)