Richard C.Kagan
Professor of East Asian Studies, Hamline University
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H3660
International Human Rights
Fall, 2003
Richard C. Kagan - Hamline University LC140S, x2433
Fax: 651/646-0034
e-mail rkagan@hamline.edu
web site: http://www.hamline.edu/personal/rkagan
Course Description:
Goals: To introduce the student to the historical issues of human
rights law. The student will be introduced to the conflict between
so-called Western rights, and the "rights" of Third
World nations.Content: Study of philosophy and history of Western
civilization from Greek antiquity to the present time. Reading
of similar materials in Islamic, African, and other cultures.
The battles between the various cultural views on human rights
will be observed through an intensive reading of the debates and
discussion of the United Nations. Taught: Annually.
Required
Readings:
-
Samantha
Power. A Problem from Hell (available in mid-September)
-
Yael
Danieli. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Fifty Years
and Beyond.
-
A
Course Reader. Available in the class room. Please pay $5.00/copy.
Color
coded: Genocide: Pink and Orange
Yellow. Steiner. Introduction to Human Rights Issues, and Capital
Punishment
Green. Steiner. Rights and Relativism
Course
Requirements:
This course is NOT a law course. Nevertheless, a modicum of legal
knowledge and its process is important. The course is designed
to introduce the student to the history, significance, and application
of international human rights law. The student is required to
read the materials as well s supplementary documents and analyses.
The student will be required to engage in class discuss and reports.
- Mid-term
paper. Write a synthesis on the history of international human
rights law. Cover the basic topics mentioned in class and in outside
readings. These must include, but not be limited to, the following
topics: philosophical and historical background, humanitarian
law, the creation of the UN UDHR, the several generations of rights
(personal, economic, environmental); the development of other
treaties/conventions. Length. 10-12 pages. Be succinct. For style
and organization see Handouts on human rights in East Asia.
- Final paper.
Write an analytical paper on a human rights topic. Length: 12-15
pages.
- Actively
participate in class. This can be accomplished by raising issues,
referring to current events, summarizing class lectures and discussions,
reporting on reading and topics.
Schedule:
Tentative:
9/3. Introduction.
9/5. Handout. Read Yellow. Pp. 3-16. try to answer questions on
p.16.
9/8. Read Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Answer questions
again.
9/10. Lecture on History (Students will be asked to summarize
lecture, and discussion. New vocabulary items will be remembered).
Danieli. V.-xv.
9/12. Lecture on History Danieli. 3-12.
9/15. Humanitarian Law. The Brandeis Brief. Kagan's Web page on
Brandeis.. Kagan on Louis Renault. Danieli. Ch. 3.
9/17. E. Roosevelt and the UDHR. Green. 351-361. UDHR Reading.
9/19 The Three Generations . Danieli. Ch. 2.
9/22. Yellow. Capital Punishment pp. 17-52. Legitimacy
9/24 Rawls vs. Rorty. Green Handout.
9/26. video
9/29. Library 10 for Introduction to Sources.
October 1. Video.
10/3 Video
10/5. Video
10/8 Genocide. Pink Reader
10/10 Genocide. Orange Reader
10/13. We begin to give oral reports on each chapter. Students
will prepare a 10 minute analysis of each chapter using outside
sources. The report can use notes but cannot be read. It would
be best to be technologically competent by using power point or
other props. Organize the report by providing a three minute summary.
A two minute analysis of the author, and a two minute evaluation.
Then relate the chapter to other studies and analyses. Each report
will have a discussant. Five minutes. We will cover two or three
chapters a class meeting. Sign up in class. Read well in advance.
And read even if you are not presenting.
Ch. 1.
October
15. video
October 17. Video
Oct. 20. chs. 4,5
Oct. 22. chs. 6,7,8 First Paper due.
October 24. Winter Break
October 27. chapter 9.
October 29. Chs. 10, 11, 12.
October 31. Chs. 13, 14-15, 16.
November 3. Read chapter 17. No report.
Reports on Ch. 18,19.
November 5. Chs. 20,21, 22.
11/7. chs. 23, 24.
11/10. Read but not reports on Part VI.
Reports on ch. 28. 30.
Depending
on how the above worked out, we will continue with reports on
S. Powers.
11/12. chs 1,2
11/14. chs. 3-4
11/17. chs. 5-6
11/19 chs. 6-7
11/21 chs. 8-9
11/24 chs. 10-11.
11/26 Video
12/1 chs. 12-13
12/3 ch. 14
12/5. Book reviews
12/8. Second paper due. Discussions
12/10-12. Discussions and reports.
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