Human Rights

Course Description

This course is designed specifically for English Language Learners interested in further developing their English skills in a challenging college-level academic setting.

What are human rights? Where do they come from and who has them? Who or what are the most common violators of human rights? In this course we address these questions and explore four main themes: (1) the very idea of human rights and its historical precedents in philosophical and religious traditions; (2) the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and debates surrounding it; (3) several specific rights affirmed in the Declaration; and (4) ways in which these rights are promoted and enforced by civil society organizations and in international law.

Students engage with academic texts, news articles, videos, and primary source documents (e.g., the Universal Declaration, UN Documents, reports from human rights organizations). They also regularly present questions for discussion and twice deliver an in-class presentation. The course is designed for ELL students and includes many opportunities for students to strengthen their written and oral expression.

Students also work on a research paper throughout the two weeks of the course. The assignment is broken into stages, including topic selection, formulation of a thesis statement, preparation of a bibliography and outline, and two full drafts of the paper itself. Students are supported in their work by regular one-on-one tutorials with the professor.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course, although students with an interest in the social sciences, modern history, or pre-law will find this course particularly interesting, as will students interested in development, humanitarian aid, migration, public policy, and the causes and consequences of war.