Courses in this Major address the human rights discipline in both theory and practice. Completion of this Major will equip students with an understanding of key issues relating to the study of human rights as a discipline, such as:
•The political, philosophical and historical development of ideas concerning human rights
•The emergence and role of human rights in international relations
•The interplay between human rights theory, law and practice
•Key contemporary theoretical debates on human rights
•The relationship between human rights and concepts such as social justice and equity
•The application of human rights theory in practice, such as:
- Issues around the implementation and enforcement of human rights standards
- Questions on the best mechanisms for dealing with human rights violations
- Human rights advocacy and social movements in the international system
•Contemporary case studies and issues
The Major is constructed so that the compulsory courses provide students with a robust understanding of political, legal, historical and philosophical origins and contemporary realities of the human rights field. When selecting their core courses to complete the Major, students then have a choice between selecting a pathway that will enable them to focus on a particular area of human rights (such as Indigenous rights, gender and human rights, human rights in political philosophy and the historical emergence of ideas of rights) or to select a range of courses that will enable them a broad expertise in various human rights issues (such as key contemporary issues, human rights and development, human rights in international relations).
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Human Rights Major students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Identify, discuss and analyze the key moments, issues and debates in the emergenceof the contested concept of ‘human rights’
- Identify and appraise the differing applications of human rights in theory, law andpractice
- Explain and assess the major contemporary theoretical debates within the humanrights discourse
- Recognize and assess the intersection between theories of human rights and theapplication of human rights standards in practice
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units, which must include:
A maximum of 12 units of courses at 1000 level
A minimum of 6 units of courses at 3000 level
A maximum of 12 units may come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL1004 | Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction | 6 |
| POLS1005 | Introduction to International Relations: Foundations and Concepts | 6 |
| POLS1006 | Introduction to International Relations: Contemporary Global Issues | 6 |
24 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| LAWS4225 | International Law of Human Rights | 6 |
| POLS2113 | Human Rights | 6 |
| POLS3028 | Researching and Writing Human Rights | 6 |
| HIST2238 | Human Rights in History | 6 |
A maximum of 24 units may come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH2025 | Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 6 |
| ANTH2009 | Culture and Development | 6 |
| ANTH2129 | Crossing Borders: Migration, Identity and Livelihood | 6 |
| ASIA 1021: Understanding War and Conflict | ||
| ASIA 1022: Peacebldg & Cnflct Resolution | ||
| ASIA 2047: Human Security | ||
| ASIA2053 | Civil Wars and Civil Peace | 6 |
| ASIA2081 | Human Rights in Asia | 6 |
| ENGL2082 | Literature and Human Rights | 6 |
| GEND2021 | Trauma, Memory and Culture | 6 |
| HIST2022 | Indigenous Australian History | 6 |
| HIST2133 | Human Variations and Racism in Western Culture, c. 1450-1950 | 6 |
| HIST2223 | The French Revolution and Napoleon | 6 |
| HIST2224 | Colonialism, Sex, Race and Gender: Historical Episodes | 6 |
| HIST2226 | Nazi Germany | 6 |
| HIST2228 | Enlightenment Worlds | 6 |
| HIST2232 | Crime and Justice: Historical Dilemmas | 6 |
| INDG3001 | Public policy development and implementation and Indigenous Australians | 6 |
| INDG3002 | Indigenous Peoples and Development | 6 |
| LAWS4271 | Refugee Law | 6 |
| PHIL2020 | Theories of Social Justice | 6 |
| PHIL 2065: Politics and Rights | ||
| PHIL2111 | Global Citizens | 6 |
| PHIL2113 | Global Justice | 6 |
| POLS2085 | Gendered Politics of War | 6 |
| POLS2011 | Development and Change | 6 |
| POLS2063 | Contemporary Political Theory | 6 |
| POLS2064 | Global Social Movements | 6 |
| POLS2095 | Politics in Latin America | 6 |
| POLS2096 | Genocide Studies | 6 |
| POLS2099 | Cartographies of Security: Critical Security Studies and International Politics | 6 |
| POLS2100 | Genocide - Post 1945 | 6 |
| POLS2101 | Refugee Politics: Displacement and Exclusion in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries | 6 |
| POLS2119 | Ideas in Politics | 6 |
| POLS2123 | Peace and Conflict Studies | 6 |
| POLS3030 | Contemporary Politics of Brazil | 6 |
| POLS3032 | The Politics of Empire | 6 |
| SOCY2157 | Surveillance and Society | 6 |
| SOCY2030 | Sociology of Third World Development | 6 |