30482 - HUMAN RIGHTS

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

We trace the genealogy of the international human rights regime and ponder the affirmation of political and civil rights and the obfuscation of social and economic rights. We attend to issues of universality and borders, and conclude by considering matters of compliance.

• 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.
• Identify potential biases in certain definitions of rights.

• 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.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments

• As appropriate, we hear from scholars and activists who have been lifelong supporters or critics of human rights.
• 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.

• Written exams are aimed at ascertaining the students' acquisition of the necessary knowledge. They are worth, each, 50 percent of the student final grade.
• There is the opportunity to earn up to 1 point extra to the final grade via class participation, individual, and group assignments.

Written exams are aimed at ascertaining the students' acquisition of the necessary knowledge.

Materials are available at the Egea Bookstore and on reserve at the library by August 2018.