HU901-7-FY-CO:
Human Rights: Theories and Applications
2024/25
Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
01 July 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MA L3MV12 Theory and Practice of Human Rights,
MA L3MV24 Theory and Practice of Human Rights,
MA L3MVMO Theory and Practice of Human Rights
The principal purpose of this module is to provide the core interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary component of postgraduate teaching of human rights within the Human Rights Centre.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide a broad and deep knowledge and understanding of essential elements of both the theory and the application of human rights within a complex world.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Have gained knowledge and understanding of the principal theoretical perspectives upon human rights.
- Have gained knowledge and understanding of the basis and scope of human rights principles.
- Have gained knowledge of and an appreciation for the principal critical perspectives upon the theory and application of human rights principles.
- Critically evaluate specific human rights claims, utilising different theoretical perspectives from several academic disciplines.
- Be cognizant of the relationship between key aspects of human rights theory and the practical application of human rights principles.
- Have gained knowledge and understanding of the specific perspectives afforded by the academic disciplines of government, law, philosophy and sociology.
- Have gained knowledge and understanding of key contemporary issues and debates within human rights practice.
- Have acquired the methodological skills required for independent research in the study of human rights.
- Have acquired and developed an inter and multidisciplinary perspective upon human rights.
- Have developed verbal presentational skills in a class/seminar setting.
The topics covered include foundations in law, philosophy, and political theory, as well as approaches and applications from the social sciences. Students will engage with the normative content of human rights, the role of key institutions that uphold human rights law, as well as with numerous human rights challenges from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
This module will be delivered via:
The module teaching team will upload all relevant teaching materials on Moodle. You will find reading lists, the textbook, weekly handouts or PPS notes on Moodle. The materials in question are designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the seminars and to equip you to analyse the required readings. You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your seminars.
The module extends across twenty teaching weeks.
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Donnelly, J. (2013a)
Universal human rights in theory and practice. Third. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Available at:
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7591/9780801467493/html.
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Fagan, A. (2003)
Human Rights | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available at:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/hum-rts/.
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Shelton, D. (2013)
The Oxford handbook of international human rights law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at:
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/42626.
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Lemaitre, J. (2018) ‘The View from Somewhere: on Samuel Moyn’s Not Enough’. Available at:
https://lpeproject.org/blog/the-view-from-somewhere-on-samuel-moyns-not-enough/.
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Frans Viljoen and Jehoshaphat Njau (2012) ‘Beyond the Law: Multi-disciplinary Perspectives on Human Rights’. Pretoria: Pretoria University Law Press ( PULP). Available at:
https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/edited-collections/beyond-the-law-multi-disciplinary-perspectives-on-human-rights.
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Khoja-Moolji, S.S. (2017) ‘The Making of Humans and Their Others in and through Transnational Human Rights Advocacy: Exploring the Cases of Mukhtar Mai and Malala Yousafzai’,
Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 42(2), pp. 377–402. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1086/688184.
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Mutua, M. (no date) ‘Savages, Victims, and Saviors: The Metaphor of Human Rights’,
Harvard International Law Journal, 42(1). Available at:
https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/hilj42&i=207.
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Hoffmann, S.-L. (2016) ‘Human Rights and History’,
Past & Present, 232(1), pp. 279–310. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtw013.
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Leffler, M.P. and Westad, O.A. (eds) (2010) ‘Human Rights and the Cold War’, in
The Cambridge History of the Cold War: Volume 3: Endings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521837217.
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Moyn, S. (no date) ‘The End of Human Rights History’, 233(1), pp. 307–322. Available at:
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtw038.
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Hunt, L. (no date b) ‘The Long and Short History of Human Rights’, 233(1), pp. 323–331. Available at:
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtw044.
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Foot, R. (2010) ‘The Cold War and Human Rights’, in M.L. Odd Arne Westad (ed.)
The Cambridge History of the Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 445–465. Available at:
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521837217.022.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Autumn Essay (HU901 Human Rights: Theories and Applications) |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
Spring Essay (HU901 Human Rights: Theories and Applications) |
|
50% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Ahmed Shaheed, email: ashaheed@essex.ac.uk.
The Law Education Admin Team - pgtlawqueries@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
Available via Moodle
Of 12 hours, 12 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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