POL 40560                                                                Professor Richard Robyn
Fall 2000                                                                    Political Science
3 credits                                                                     302 Bowman Hall, Rm 12 (x. 28948)
TR 1:45-3:00                                                             Email: rrobyn@kent.edu
224 Bowman Hall                                                      Office hours: MWF 8:45-9:45 a.m.
Website: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~rrobyn/
 
 

Course Syllabus

Human Rights and
Social Justice

This course will introduce basic concepts related to and then examine the state of human rights and social justice both from an historical perspective and in the contemporary world. Are human rights and social justice desirable--or even attainable--ideals? Are human rights truly universal or are they culture-specific? What is the role of governmental, nongovernmental and international organizations in advancing social justice? Does the structure of the international system prevent or contribute to the violation of human rights? Do states have the right to intervene in the affairs of others states that seem to be in violation of the rights of their citizens? These questions will be addressed in this course, as well as any other questions that you as students raise.

While we will examine the theoretical issues involved in human rights, we will also try and apply these concepts to a practical understanding of how to deal with and propose solutions to problems of social injustice that arise in the world. To that end, we will examine the role of fieldworkers in organizations (especially the International War Crimes Tribunal and NGOs such as Amnesty International) that deal with human rights abuses.

This course normally requires the completion of Introduction to World Politics (POL 10500) and is a Diversity Course.
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Assigned Readings: Readings listed in the syllabus are required and should be read before the class in which they are assigned. Class discussions will be based on and add to these readings.

¤  Richard Pierre Claude and Burns H. Weston (eds.). 1992. Human Rights in the World Community (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press). (in the bookstore) (NOTE: if this or any other book is not in the bookstore and/or if you want to do some comparison shopping, you can try <http://www.varsitybooks.com>.)
¤  Isabel Allende. 1987. Of Love and Shadows (NY: Bantam Books). (in the bookstore)

¤  Victor E. Frankl. 1984. Man's Search for Meaning (NY: Washington Square Press). (in the bookstore)

¤  Assorted articles (on reserve in the library, or handed out in class).

Since this course is built around investigations of human rights, abuses of which are often in the daily news, it is expected that you will keep up with current events. Most classes will begin or end with a brief discussion of what is happening in the world. Fairly regular reading of newspapers such as The New York Times or watching CNN or The Lehrer Hour on PBS are highly recommended.
 

Attendance: You are required to attend class and I will note absences. You are permitted 3 excused absences--after that, your grade will suffer from non-attendance. (Please note that attendance is 10% of your final grade.)
 

Exams and Papers: There will be two mid-term and a final exam for this course, made up from material from readings and lectures (which do not always coincide). Exams are usually identification/short answer/essay type, and so require that you purchase and bring a blue book. These are on sale in the bookstore or in the Political Science Department (3rd floor Bowman). There may on occasion be a small quiz or two, particularly if participation in class seems to be flagging due to inattention to readings.

There is a certain amount of other written and oral work required, parts of which are due at different points during the semester. Please note these dates carefully. This work consists of the following assignments:

Term paper: The term paper will offer you the opportunity to integrate in a more formal way the information learned in the course about human rights. The paper is a part of an overall assignment, along with a class presentation, that is to focus on a human rights issue of your choice. The paper should be concise (approximately 5-7 pages in length), and will be evaluated on the basis of content, clarity of argument, and writing style (including grammar, spelling, and punctuation). DUE: in class, Thursday, December 7.

The process of writing the paper will not be accomplished in one step but (as with all good writing) will be done in stages. The critical components of this process are:
 

Topic: Before writing a paper, you need to figure out what question you are attempting to answer. In this assignment, you are to hand in a statement of your basic research question. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Tuesday, October 10. It will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.

Outline: Before writing a paper, you need to figure out how to organize the relevant material to make an effective argument about the subject matter. In this assignment, you are to hand in a proposed outline of your paper. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Thursday, November 2. It will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.

Annotated Bibliography: Before writing a paper, you need as well to research the subject matter. In this assignment, you are to hand in a short, annotated bibliography containing both Internet and other sources for your paper. (Details to be discussed in class.) This assignment is to be submitted in class on Tuesday, November 14. It also will not be graded, but 2 points will be deducted from the final paper for every day it is late.

Final Paper: Your final paper is due in class on Thursday, December 7. One full grade will be deducted for every day (including Saturday and Sunday) that the paper is late. I recommend (but do not require) that you submit a draft of your paper well before it is due so that you can receive timely feedback.


Individual/Organization Profile. You are also required to prepare a short class presentation (5 minutes) to introduce the class either to (1) a prominent human rights worker or (2) a human rights organization. I will provide a list of appropriate individuals or organizations; you are not limited to only these, but if you wish to do another, please consult me first. The presentation, which will be done throughout the final two-thirds of the course, will be supplemented by a 2-3 page written report that will address: (1) basic information about the individual/organization; (2) the resources you used to find the information and (3) what you learned from the investigation. The presentation and report are a combined 10% of your grade.
 

Extra-curricular activity(ies). I believe strongly that learning takes place outside the classroom as well as in. You are required to participate in activities that will test and/or extend your knowledge of international affairs. At least one of the following activities will meet this requirement:
 

  1. Model UN. As part of gaining a practical understanding of the UN, you are encouraged to participate in the Model UN Conference, to be held at the Ashtabula campus of Kent State University, October 19-22. The Model UN involves teams of students from a variety of universities who come together to represent the various member (or prospective member) countries of the UN in simulated sessions of that organization.

  2. NB: In order to participate in the Model UN, you will miss several days (Thursday-Friday) of classes. You should be sure you will be able to miss that much class time, and not hurt your chances to have a successful semester. While Kent professors have readily permitted students to miss their classes in order to attend the Model, you should be sure that you secure their permission (with a letter of certification of attendance from me).
     

  3. Speakers/organizations. Alternatively, you may choose to attend three of the following: meetings of student organizations that are concerned with human rights, such as Amnesty International; and/or campus events that feature a speaker who addresses a topic of international significance. 1 page written reports of each these events are required.

  4.  
Grading: Grades for the course will be based on the following criteria:

        Exam 1                                     15% (15 points)
        Exam 2                                     15% (15 points)
        Profile presentation & report     10% (10 points)
        Term paper & presentation        20% (20 points)
        Extra-curricular activity                5% (5 points)
        Attendance                                10% (10 points)
        Participation in class                   10% (10 points)
        Final exam                                 15% (15 points)

        TOTAL                                   100% (100 points)

This is the total number of points available for your course grade. I do not award extra-credit points.

The grading scale I use is:
A 100-90
B 90-80
C 80-70
D 70-60
F below 60
 

Students with Disabilities. In accordance with University policy, if you have a disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact me at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) in the Michael Schwartz Student Services Center (672-3391).
 



Schedule of Events and Assignments
 

DATE         ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS

T 8/29         Orientation to course.
 

Week 1. What are human rights? Where do they come from?

R 8/31         The Nature of Human Rights
                    Assignment: C&W(1), intro to ch 1,pp. 2-14; #1Burns Weston, "Human Rights," p      14-31.
 

Weeks 2 - 4. Why is it so difficult to enforce universal human rights?

T 9/5         Human Rights and International Relations
                 Assignment: "IR Terms" (Course WEBSITE).

R 9/7         Approaches to Human Rights.
                Assignment: C&W, #2 Richard Falk, "Theoretical Foundations of Human Rights," pp. 31-41.

T 9/12       State-Sponsored Terrorism. Video: "Chile: Torture as a Political Instrument."
                Assignment: C&W, #4 Leo Kuper, "The Sovereign Territorial State: The Right to Genocide," pp.69-79.
                DISCUSS PAPER TOPICS.

R 9/14     Human Rights: Universal or Culturally Bound?
                Assignment: C&W, #3 Fernando Teson, "International Human Rights and Cultural Relativism," pp. 42-54.

T 9/19     Universalism vs. Relativism, continued.
                Assignment: C&W, #10 Adamantia Pollis, "Human Rights in Liberal, Socialist, and Third World Perspective," pp. 146-158.

R 9/21     The Crux of the Matter: Fulfilling Human Potentials
                Assignment: C&W, intro to ch 3, "Basic Human Needs, Security Rights, and Humane Governance," pp. 135-146; #11 Asbjorn Eide, "Realization of Social and Economic Rights and the Minimum Threshold Approach," pp. 158-167.

T 9/26     Examination 1.

R 9/28     Human Rights on the Web. DISCUSS PAPER TOPICS and writing the research paper. Handouts: research paper writing.
                Assignment: "Websites" (Course WEBSITE); "Search Questions" (HANDOUT).
 

Weeks 6 - 8. How do we enforce human rights?

T 10/3     International Law, International Organizations, NGOs.
                Assignment: C&W, intro to ch 4, International Approaches to Implementation, pp. 215-227.
                BEGIN PROFILE PRESENTATIONS

R 10/5     The United Nations and Human Rights.
                Assignment: C&W, #16 Tom Farer, "The United Nations and Human Rights: More Than a Whimper, Less Than a Roar," pp. 227-241.

T 10/10   The Instrument of Enforcement: The International Bill of Human Rights.
                Assignment: C&W, Appendix, "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights," "International Covenants and Protocals," pp. 419-446.

R 10/12      Nuremberg and The International War Crimes Tribunal. Video: "Nuremberg."
                   Assignment: Rosenberg, "Tipping the Scales of Justice" (ON RESERVE).

T 10/17     The International Criminal Court
                Assignment: Debate: "Should the U.S. Support a Strong and Independent International Criminal Court?" (ON RESERVE).

            Thurs., Oct. 19 - Sun., Oct. 22 Model UN
                            Ashtabula, Ohio.

T 10/24     Discussion and Review.
                MID-TERM COURSE EVALUATION.

R 10/26     Examination 2.
 

Weeks 10 & 11: What is enforcement like on the ground?

T 10/31     Nongovernmental Organizations: The Front Line of Human Rights Protection
                  Assignment: C&W: intro to ch 6; #25 Laurie Wiseberg, "Human Rights Nongovernmental Organizations," pp. 372-383.

R 11/2      The Roles of Scientists and Academics
                Assignment: C&W: #26 Clyde Snow et al, "Scientists as Detectives: Investigating Human Rights,"pp. 384-392.

T 11/7     The Role of the Individual
                Assignment: C&W: #28 Winston P. Nagan, "'Looking and Thinking' About Human Rights and Revolution," pp. 401-408.

R 11/9     Protecting the Human Rights Promoters. Class visit: TBA.
                Assignment: Patrick Coy, "Going Where We Otherwise Would Not Have Gone: Accompaniment and Election Monitoring in Sri Lanka," (ON RESERVE).
 

Week 12: What is the state of human rights around the world?

T 11/14     Human Rights Around the World
                Assignment: Human Rights Watch World Report 2000, browse (WEBSITE: <http://www.hrw.org/>)

R 11/16     The USA and Human Rights
                 Assignment: C&W: intro to ch 5; #20 Evan Luard, "Human Rights and Foreign Policy," pp. 296-307; #22 Diane Orenlicher, "The United States Commitment to International Human Rights," pp. 340-352.
 

Weeks 13 & 14. What is the human face of human rights abuse?

T 1121     Individual Expressions of Human Rights Abuse
                Assignment: Victor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, entire.

R 11/23 NO CLASS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

T 11/28     Individual Expressions, continued.
                Assignment: Isabelle Allende, Of Love and Shadows, entire.

R 11/30     Individual Expressions, continued.
                Assignment: no additional readings.
 

Week 15. What is the future of human rights?

T 12/5         Discussion: Human Rights after the Cold War and Future Trends. Begin Term Paper Presentations.
                    Assignment: C&W: #14 Edith Brown Weiss, "Planetary Rights," pp. 187-198.

R 12/7         Term Paper presentations.

M 12/14      Final Exam Time (12:45-3:00).
 


1. C&W = Claude and Weston, Human Rights in the World Community.