Kurs

Current Issues in Human Rights and Democracy

General information

The course is a compulsory component of the M.A. Program in Human Rights and Democracy.

Course description

The course consists of one or two blocks where students will deepen their grasp of different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches through intensive studies of one or two current issues or contexts of relevance to human rights and democracy. The course is taught through seminars, intensive reading and writing assignments where students bring together different theoretical tools in analyzing relevant primary sources for the given themes. The themes at hand are usually tied to one or two current research projects at the School of Human Rights and Democracy.

Learning Outcomes 

On completion of the course, the student shall be able to

Knowledge and understanding

  • skillfully summarize the state of research on current issues of relevance to human rights and democracy,
  • integrate and contrast different academic perspectives on current issues of relevance to human rights and democracy, 
  • display an in-depth grasp of the possibilities and limitations of interdisciplinary research within the field of study,
  • provide an overview of the most important academic forums, including journals and book series, where the scholarly conversation on the current issues takes place

Competence and skills

  • plan, execute, as well as orally present and defend an academic essay on current issues of relevance to human rights and democracy, showing an awareness of the different conventions of style and reasoning within different academic disciplines, 
  • account and argue for one’s assessment of complex phenomena—orally as well as in writing; 

Judgement and approach

  • reflect critically and independently on central theories and concepts within the field of inquiry; 
  • analyze and assess information using scientific criteria. 

 

Books

Akande, Adebowale, 2023, Globalization, Human Rights and Populism: Reimagining People, Power and Places, Cham: Springer International Publishing AG (ca 300p)

Carey, Gibney & Poe, 2010, The Politics of Human Rights, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (220p)

Grotius, Hugo, The Rights of War and Peace, 1901 (443p) link https://oll-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/oll3/store/titles/553/0138_Bk.pdf

Moses, Duranti, Burk, 2020, Decolonization, Self-Determination, and the Rise of Global Human Rights Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (ca 300p)

Neuman, Gerald, 2020, Human Rights in a Time of Populism, ed, Oxford: Oxford University Press (270p)

Smith, Thomas, W, 2017, Human Rights and War Through Civilian Eyes, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Press (ca 250p)

Walzer, Michael, 1977/2015, Just and Unjust Wars – A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations, Fifth Edition, New York: Basic Books, (ca, 250p)

 

Articles

Dixon, Paul, 2019, ’Endless wars of altruism’? Human rights, humanitarianism and the Syrian war, The international journal of human rights, Vol.23 (5), p.819-842, Abingdon. Routledge. (ca 30p)

Norris, Pippa, 2020, “Measuring populism worldwide”, Party Politics, 2020, Vol.26 (6), p.697-717 , London: Routledge. (ca 30p)

Webber, Jeremy (2023, Understanding Populism, Social & legal studies, 2023, Vol.32 (6), p.841-1010, London: SAGE publications. (ca 40p)

 

Dissertation

Samuel Hartridge, 2022, The Rule of Law in War, University of Sydney (circa 250p)

 

Plus additional articles circa 100p

Kurslitteraturen reviderades senast 6 december 2023.

Schemat finns tillgängligt senast en månad innan kursen startar. Vi rekommenderar inte att du skriver ut schemat eftersom vissa ändringar kan ske.

Öppna schemat

Helen Lindberg

helen.lindberg@ehs.se

Betyg

A = Framstående, B = Mycket bra, C = Bra, D = Tillfredsställande, E = Tillräcklig, Fx = Otillräcklig, komplettering möjlig, F = Otillräcklig

Examinationsformer

  • PM

The applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree in human rights studies or another related
field in social or political science, law or the humanities. Students with undergraduate
degrees in the natural sciences, engineering or medicine may also be admitted subject to
their ability to demonstrate a proficiency in human rights, for instance through professional
or voluntary work or activity.

In addition, advanced level studies in human rights studies of 30 credits or the equivalent.

If English is not the applicant’s native language, his or her language proficiency is to be
demonstrated by e.g. IELTS test, TOEFL test, Cambridge/Oxford test, a Bachelor’s degree
from a study programme taught entirely in English, or a passing grade in English 6/English B from
Swedish upper secondary school.

  • För fullgjord kurs krävs minst 80% närvaro vid föreläsningar och 100% närvaro vid seminarier/gruppövningar och andra tillfällen för redovisning. Frånvaro därutöver kan kompenseras genom kompletteringsuppgift (-er) om kursansvarig lärare bedömer det möjligt. Vid frånvaro om 50 % eller mer betraktas kursen som avbruten, även om examinationsuppgifter har genomförts.
  • Om student har ett beslut från EHS om särskilt pedagogiskt stöd på grund av funktionsnedsättning, skall examinator vid behov anpassa examinationen och genomföra examinationen på ett alternativt sätt.
  • Student har möjlighet att tentera kurs enligt ursprunglig kursplan inom två år efter kurstillfället. Om särskilda skäl föreligger kan sådan omtentamen ske även senare. Normalt ges inte undervisning enligt äldre kursplan. Möjligheten till dispens ska avgöras av rektor eller prefekt.

Fastställd av Kollegiet i Mänskliga rättigheter vid Enskilda Högskolan Stockholm den 3 februari 2021.