6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Chief examiner(s)
Associate Professor Alison Ross
Coordinator(s)
Not offered in 2018
Prerequisites
Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Synopsis
Most people are familiar with the concept and language of human rights. But what is the origin of the contemporary conception and practice of human rights?. Does it come from the French Revolution?. Early modern philosophy?. Or does our current understanding of human rights have a more recent origin?. This unit will introduce students to debates about the history of human rights as a recognisable political discourse. We will consider the burgeoning literature that views human rights discourse as a specifically post-World War II tool for the justification of military and civil intervention. We will identify the historical background for the use of human rights discourse in an analysis of specific cases of humanitarian intervention. We will also consider the implication of the interest of NGOs in critical scholarship on 'human rights discourse' and examine how this affects their operations and advocacy.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
- engage with debates about the history of the concept of human rights;
- recognise and discuss the potentially controversial implications of political applications of human rights discourse;
- identify relevant literature for critical debates on the terminology of human rights discourse;
- undertake independent research and critical reading to construct an analysis of the scholarship;
- utilise written and oral communication skills to present argument.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 100%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information
This unit applies to the following area(s) of study
Bachelor of Global StudiesBachelor of Global Studies (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2018handbooks/courses/A2001.html)