Unit Outline

Human rights are fundamental rights that are inherent to every individual. They are underpinned by concepts of human dignity and the essential equality of all people. The unit takes an interdisciplinary approach to the development, application and cultural relativity of human rights, and how they are placed alongside our notions of global justice. The unit is delivered in three modules. The first module explores the evolution of the liberal conception of human rights, with a focus on how the understanding of rights has changed over time. The second module introduces students to non-Western conceptions of human rights, with a focus on indigenous conceptions. The third module discusses who guarantees protection of rights, and how violators of rights have come to be punished in the international system. The material covered in this unit is global in both its geographic scope and its cultural awareness. The unit will provide you with the tools to make determinations about the nature of human rights in a globalised world.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Describe how human rights are a historical, contemporary and evolving concept.
2	Explain how the emergence and development of international human rights theory has contributed to international laws and institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights.
3	Evaluate how different cultural perceptions of law and justice continue to impact on our international regime of human rights.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	100 credit points
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	XBR207

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit has undergone minor changes to ensure a balanced workload over the Summer School period. The number of required readings has been reduced, and the length of Assessment Task 2 has been shortened.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Multiple Choice Quiz	Week 2	20 %	LO1
Assessment Task 2:	Oral Presentation	Week 4	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Major Essay	Week 6	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Tutorial Participation	Refer to Assessment Description	10 %

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Multiple Choice Quiz

Task Description:

You will have 15 minutes to answer twenty multiple choice questions on the emergence and development of human rights.
These questions focus on material from Module 1 (the first five content lectures in the unit, up until the end of Week 6).

Task Length:

20 Questions / 15 Minutes

Due Date:

Week 2 (24/Jan/2025)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	This assessment examines your ability to DEMONSTRATE your knowledge of basic unit content and concepts and your ability to APPLY these to case studies. All questions will be of equal worth.	LO1

Assessment Task 2: Oral Presentation

Task Description:

The United Nations has decided to make a new International Day for human rights. They have asked you to choose an area of human rights concern, and make an oral presentation telling us why it should have its own day.
You are to record a speech of around 10 minutes, in which you will do the following:
• Identify the rationale for your new human rights day
• Explain who is most affected by your issue of choice
• Make an argument as to why the current rights regime has overlooked your concern
• Advise of any changes that need to be made to dominant conceptions of human rights to better take account of your concern

You are also required to submit a list of references that you consulted in preparation for your presentation.
You can use PowerPoint, but no more than 4 slides (not including a title slide).
A short informational video has been recorded, and can be found under ‘Assessment Task 3’ in the content section of the unit’s MyLO page.

Task Length:

10 minutes

Due Date:

Week 4 (03/Feb/2025)

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Argumentation: Student must craft a compelling argument for the establishment of their new day that directly responds to the task description ability to APPLY these to case studies. All questions will be of equal worth.	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Effective communication through attention to the structure, flow, and accessibility of their argument.	LO1, LO2
3	Solid research that demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the regime surrounding the student’s chosen issue. Attention to citation guidelines	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 3: Major Essay

Task Description:

Respond to the following question:
'To what degree are modern human rights a western construct, and in turn, are modern justice mechanisms associated with the gross violations of human rights ‘tools of neo-colonial oppression’ (with reference to either R2P or the International Criminal Court)?'
This question examines your knowledge of material introduced in modules 2 and 3 of this unit.
You must engage with all the following texts in your essay (a PDF of each reading is available on the 'Assessment Task 3' page in MyLO):

• Christian Reus-Smit, ‘Human Rights in a Global Ecumene’ International Affairs 87:5 (2011) pp.1205-1228
• Walter D. Mignolo, ‘Who Speaks for the Human in Human Rights?’ Hispanic Studies Online 5:1 (2009) pp.7-25
• Andrew Fitzmaurice, ‘The Genealogy of Terra Nullius’, Australian Historical Studies, 129, 2007
• Jack Donnelly, ‘The Relative Universality of Human Rights’ in Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Cornell University Press, 2013), pp.93-105
• Zain Maulana and Edward Newman, ‘Contesting the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ in Southeast Asia: Rejection or Normative Resistance?’, Global Responsibility to Protect 14 (2022) 37–74 (you do not need to use this reference if discussing the ICC)
• Sarah P. Nimigan, ‘Africa and the International Criminal Court: (Re)constructing the Narrative’, International Criminal Law Review, 21 (2021) 203-241 (you do not need to use this reference if discussing R2P)

A short informational video will also be provided under ‘Assessment Task 4’ in the content section of the unit’s MyLO page.

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 6 (17/Feb/2025)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Argumentation: students must construct and defend an original argument in response to the task description	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Independent research and analysis of provided materials	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Knowledge of actors and institutions presiding over human rights	LO1, LO2, LO3
4	Effective communication through attention to structure, grammar, and citation guidelines	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 4: Tutorial Participation

Task Description:

The 90-minute tutorial sessions in HSS207 will help bring together your learning from the lectures and readings. They act as a forum for discussion and debate, while also clarifying what you should be taking away from each week of content. Along with academic discussions and simulation exercises, we will discuss the unit's assessment tasks in detail.

Participation in tutorial sessions is essential for success in this unit, as such, your participation will be recorded and will contribute to your final grade.

Task Length:

Participation in tutorials throughout the semester

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.