This module is not currently running in 2021 to 2022.
Emerging from the ashes of World War II and the Holocaust, human rights have become a critical part of international law and diplomacy in the world today. This course is designed to provide an overview of issues central to the theory and practice of human rights in international politics. In this course we will consider contemporary debates surrounding the meaning, role, and the universality of human rights and examine explanations of violations of, as well as adherence to, human rights principles through a focus on the role of the UN system, states, and NGOs, and processes of norm socialisation and domestic change. We will use case studies to highlight the effectiveness of different theories and processes concerning the role of human rights in international politics. Students will conduct in-depth research into the human rights of a chosen country and further gain practical experience in human rights reporting by writing a shadow report of that country’s adherence to international human rights law.
100% coursework.
Donnelly, J. Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2003).
Landman, Todd, Protecting Human Rights: A Comparative Study, Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2005.
Risse, Thomas, Stephen C. Ropp, and Kathryn Sikkink, The Persistent Power of Human Rights: From Commitment to Compliance, Cambridge University Press, 2013.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Understand the complexity of human rights practices and their significance and role within international relations.
Evaluate the theoretical and methodological debates surrounding the meaning of human rights in international relations.
Understand and evaluate the role of state and non-state actors in the promotion and protection of human rights in international relations and the role of power within these practices.
Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the international human rights regime.
Gather information and deploy arguments about human rights from primary and secondary sources.
Apply theoretical perspectives to case studies of human rights in international relations.
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