1 | Course introduction, and organizational details; and Reading the Universal Declaration of Human Rights | |
2 | What are human rights? History, philosophy and character of the rights discourse | |
3 | Key conceptual debates: universality v. cultural relativism, public v. private, relativity of rights, liberal origins, individual v. community rights, civil v. human rights | |
4 | Sovereignty and Self-determination?: The Impact of North-South divisions, the West v. Rest | |
5 | Security v. human rights: The torture debate | |
6 | Economic development, globalization and poverty | |
7 | The push for democracy and democratization | |
8 | International Women's rights | |
9 | Ethnic, religious and racial violence and group rights | |
10 | Forcible Intervention versus sovereignty | |
11 | Domestic avenues for realizing rights | Topics for final paper are due |
12 | Transnational/International avenues for the realization of rights | |
13 | The role of Nongovernmental Organizations and Social Movements | |
14 | Criticisms of and challenges to rights, Conclusion and wrapping up | Final papers are due |