Spring 2022 - IS 309 D300

Special Topics in International Security and Conflict (4)

Intl Human Rights

Class Number: 5321

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: Thu, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 25, 2022
    Mon, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Specific details of courses to be offered will be published prior to enrollment each term.

COURSE DETAILS:

The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 was followed by a host of international agreements on genocide and torture, women and minorities, refugees and the conduct of warfare, and the treatment of children. Development, trade and healthcare have likewise become subject to new standards of human-centered conduct, whose significance has grown with economic and cultural globalization. Individual and collective human rights — with their appeal to solidarity and the rule of law, often against claims of cultural relativism — have ceased to be matters solely of domestic jurisdiction.

This course will address a range of themes that involve global engagement with the protection and promotion of human dignity through legal rights, including the role of non-state actors such as NGOs and corporations. In particular, we will attend to the gaps between normative regimes and political realities, mindful of the post-9/11 approaches to "security" and their tension with individual rights. Multimedia resources will supplement the course texts, both in class and on the course website.

Grading

  • Class Presentation 20%
  • Take-Home Midterm 30%
  • Participation 10%
  • Final Exam 40%

NOTES:

Students will be required to submit their written assignments to Turnitin.com in order to receive credit for the assignments and for the course.

The School for International Studies strictly enforces the University's policies regarding plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. Information about these policies can be found at: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/teaching.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Goodhart, Michael, ed. Human Rights: Politics and Practice. 3rd ed. Oxford, 2016 (pbk). ISBN: 9780198708766. E-book; ISBN 9780191069741.

Additional readings will be posted on the Canvas site.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Richard Falk, Achieving Human Rights. Routledge, 2008. Library E-book.

The Human Rights Reader. ed. Micheline Ishay. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.