Teaching Responsibility

LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:

Humanities and Social Science

Learning Methods

Lecture

Online

Workshop

Module Offerings

6116HIST-SEP-MTP

Aims

To examine the historical development of human rights in the international arena prior to 1946; To assess the competing historical and theoretical underpinnings of universal human rights; To evaluate global human rights’ instruments and institutions; To analyse the historical and contemporary politics of human rights through global issues and country-based case studies; To develop research skills through independent study and case-based learning; To develop group-working and presentation skills.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Critically evaluate theories concerning the development of an international human rights’ regime
2.
Demonstrate the ability to analyse critically historical and contemporary global issues in relation to international institutions and instruments on human rights
3.
Synthesize theory and practice of human rights in a verbal presentation

Module Content

Outline Syllabus:Historical and Theoretical Bases of Human Rights: Ancient History Historical and Theoretical Bases of Human Rights: Dark Ages Historical and Theoretical Bases of Human Rights: Middle Ages Historical and Theoretical Bases of Human Rights: Modernity and the Age of Enlightenment Historical and Theoretical Bases of Human Rights: Twentieth Century Human Rights prior to 1946 The Post-1945 Human Rights’ Regime Cultural Relativism vs Universalism Religious Perspectives on Human Rights: Islam, Judaism, Confucianism, Hinduism Contemporary Issues in Human Rights
Module Overview:
This module provides an introduction to the historical and theoretical discourses surrounding human rights, as a pre-cursor to the current international regime established in 1948. It tackles both ancient and modern notions of rights, including the debate over when human rights can be said to have begun, and uses a wide variety of historical primary source material, from clay tablets to international legal codes, and from stelae to religious writings.
Additional Information:This module provides an introduction to the historical and theoretical discourses surrounding human rights, as a pre-cursor to the current international regime established in 1948. It tackles both ancient and modern notions of rights, including the debate over when human rights can be said to have begun, and uses a wide variety of historical primary source material, from clay tablets to international legal codes, and from stelae to religious writings. The outline syllabus should not be regarded as a week-by-week schedule, but rather, as an indicator of the various subject areas covered. The latter part of the module is deliberately intended to be reactive, in order that students may demonstrate their learning through applying the historical and conceptual models that they have studied to contemporary situations.

Assessments

Presentation

Essay