University of Essex

HU901-7-FY-CO:
Human Rights: Theories and Applications

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Full Year

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 27 June 2025

Credits: 30

Last updated: 01 July 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

MA L3MV12 Theory and Practice of Human Rights,
MA L3MV24 Theory and Practice of Human Rights,
MA L3MVMO Theory and Practice of Human Rights

Module description

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.

Module aims

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.

Module learning outcomes

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.

Module information

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.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

Weekly 2-hour seminars.

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.

Bibliography

Cushman, T. (2012) Handbook of human rights. Abingdon: Routledge. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=957976.
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.
Fagan, A. (2003) Human Rights | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available at: http://www.iep.utm.edu/hum-rts/.
Freeman, M. (2017a) Human rights. Third edition. Cambridge: Polity. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1562072.
Shelton, D. (2013) The Oxford handbook of international human rights law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/42626.
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/.
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.
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.
Ellis, H. (2018) ‘How to Prevent, Identify and Address Vicarious Trauma — While Conducting Open Source Investigations in the Middle East’. Available at: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2018/10/18/prevent-identify-address-vicarious-trauma-conducting-open-source-investigations-middle-east/?fbclid=IwAR1SXDAC8UXq3GA7eUByD_iWOMVnjRzBYjCek-eEYFQUHNOye3f_nR-mgak.
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.
Hoffmann, S.-L. (2016) ‘Human Rights and History’, Past & Present, 232(1), pp. 279–310. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gtw013.
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.
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.
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.
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

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Prof Ahmed Shaheed, email: ashaheed@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details: The Law Education Admin Team - pgtlawqueries@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Ms Edzia Carvalho

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 8 hours, 8 (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.

Further information

Department website: Human Rights Centre (Essex Law School)

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Module Directory

HU901-7-FY-CO:Human Rights: Theories and Applications