HUMR5701 – Human Rights and Development: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Theory and Practices

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

New course code starting from the fallsemester 2011 - please see the website for HUMR5702 – Human Rights and Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Theory and Practices (the course now gives 10 credits).

This course addresses different ways of thinking about the relationship between development and international human rights. It discusses shifts in the conceptualisation of development and examines the increasingly more central place of human rights in the development discourse, as expressed in ideas about “development as freedom”, “rights-based development” and the “right to development” as a human right. These global discourses of development and human rights are contrasted with localised ideas of “rights”, “development”, and “civil society”, as these may vary between societies and normative traditions.

The course also offers critical examinations of these conceptual developments by addressing human rights in the practices of international development agencies, as appropriated by civil society, and thorough the application of a rights based approach to selected human rights issues like, e.g., the HIV/AIDS pandemic and marginality and poverty.

Learning outcome

The course provides and opportunity to reflect on development as a human rights issue, and to discuss how development policies impact human rights enhancement. The course challenges the students to reflect on new concepts of development which explicitly interrelate rights and development, and at the same time to address opportunities and constraints to advance development and freedom though development policies and interventions.

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master's programme at UiO. All applicants must fill the formal prerequisites.
Priority is given to students on the Master of Philosophy programme in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants

Prerequisites

Recommended previous knowledge

Participants should have a general command of the subject matter studied in the first semester courses of the Master of Philosophy program in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights

Overlapping courses

none.

Teaching

The course is conducted through lectures, seminars and student assignments.

Examination

The examination consists of two parts; one 4 hour written examination and an assignment. The assignment will count 60% of the total grade and the 4 hour written examination counts 40%. Students must pass both the assignment and the 4 hour written examination in order to obtain a total grade.

Students who fail or do not deliver the assignment will not be able to sit for the 4 hour written examination at the end of the semester. In case of retake, a candidate must retake both examinations, even if the candidate has successfully passed one of the examinations.

Please note that if a student wish to file an appeal in only one of the examinations, both examinations will automatically undergo a regrading.

Use of sources and rules for citing.

Be sure that you are familiar with the use of sources and the rules for citing/quoting from others’ work
UiO uses a plagiarism checking tool as one of several instruments for detecting suspicion of cheating and attempted cheating.

Examination support material

Auxiliary materials allowed during examinations for courses taught in English.

Recommended/Special Material

Language of examination

English

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

Resit an examination

Withdrawal from an examination

A student can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit for the exam.
A study programme may have rules that further limit the number of times a student may re-take this exam. In such instances the rules of the study programme will have priority.

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.

Please se Detailed regulations for the Faculty of Law, Chapter 3 regarding application, responsibilities and special measures.

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Facts about this course

Credits
15
Level
Master
Teaching
Spring 2011

Starting from autumn 2011, the course will continue with a new course code. Please see the website for HUMR5702 – Human Rights and Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Theory and Practices

Examination
Spring 2011

Starting from autumn 2011, the course will continue with a new course code. Please see the website for HUMR5702 – Human Rights and Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Theory and Practices

Teaching language
English