HU100-4-FY-CO:
Foundations of Human Rights

The details
2023/24
Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
15 September 2022

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

HU200

Key module for

BA V1L2 History with Human Rights,
BA V1L8 History with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1LF History with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V1LG History with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA T7M8 Latin American studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA T7M9 Latin American Studies with Human Rights,
BA V5M8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V5M9 Philosophy with Human Rights,
BA V5MX Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V6M9 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA VLM8 Philosophy with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L219 Politics with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L2M8 Politics with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2M9 Politics with Human Rights,
BA LFM9 Politics with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA L3J9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L3M9 Sociology with Human Rights,
BA LMJ9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM20 Law with Human Rights,
LLB MM21 Law with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM22 Law with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM30 Law with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA P570 Journalism with Human Rights,
BA P571 Journalism with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA P572 Journalism with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA LL37 Social Anthropology with Human Rights,
BA LL38 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA LL39 Social Anthropology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L914 Global Studies with Human Rights,
BA L916 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L917 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L918 Global Studies with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA L400 Social Change,
BA L400PT Social Change,
BA L401 Social Change (Including Foundation Year),
BA L402 Social Change (including Placement Year),
BA L403 Social Change (including Year Abroad),
BA V301 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights,
BA V302 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (including Foundation Year),
BA V303 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA V304 Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

For anyone interested in human rights work or study, this module is critical. This module offers a comprehensive foundational knowledge of human rights from a multidisciplinary and global perspective.

This module covers key principles of human rights (freedom, equality, non-discrimination, universalism), a selection of key rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (life, freedom of expression, health, free trial, etc.), and some of the main challenges facing groups at greater risk of harm, disadvantage and discrimination (children, women, migrants and refugees, minorities).

Module aims

By the end of the module, students will have gained:

1. Knowledge and understanding of human rights, their foundations, content, limits and key principles;
2. Awareness of the challenges and the particular circumstances of individuals and groups at greater risk of harm, disadvantage and discrimination;
3. Appreciation of how and where human rights intersect with a wide range of disciplines, including International Law, International Relations and International Political Economy;
4. Awareness of human rights concerns in the UK.

Module learning outcomes

Satisfactory attendance of (and participation in) lectures and classes provides the basis for students developing a knowledge and understanding of the foundations and applications of many key human rights. By the end of the module, students will have gained:

1. A knowledge and understanding of the definition of human rights
2. A knowledge and understanding of the content of human rights
3. An understanding of the evolution of the human rights movement
4. An appreciation of how and where human rights intersects with a wide range of disciplines
5. A knowledge and understanding of a range of contemporary issues and controversies
6. A knowledge and understanding of the conceptual foundations and limits of human rights
7. A knowledge and understanding of various critical perspectives upon human rights

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be taught via weekly lectures and classes. The module teaching team will upload all relevant teaching materials on Moodle. The delivery and study will be based on essential and Additional reading (available on Talis), classes and online forum discussions (on Moodle). The materials in question are designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the lectures and classes and to equip you to analyse the required readings. You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your classes. Your classes will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts.

Bibliography*

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   Formative Essay (HU100 Foundations of Human Rights)    0% 
Coursework   Essay (HU100 Foundations of Human Rights)    50% 
Practical   Forum Participation - Continuous Assessment (HU100 Foundations of Human Rights)    50% 
Exam  Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 24hr during September (Reassessment Period) 

Additional coursework information

The Essay is submitted in January. The Continuous Assessment consists of Moodle Forum participation, a written presentation and development of an original question to start an online discussion related to the relevant week's topic.

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

Coursework Exam
40% 60%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 100%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matthew Gillett, email: matthew.gillett@essex.ac.uk.
Ms. Delia Sanchez Del Angel
Law UG Education Administrators - schooloflawug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

Dr Panagiotis Kapotas
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 2099 hours, 40 (1.9%) hours available to students:
2059 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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