HUMR4701 – Development and Freedom: Notions of Rights of Rights-based Development
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course addresses different ways of thinking about the relationship between development and international human rights. It discusses shifts in the conceptualisation of development and examines the increasingly more central place of human rights in the development discourse, as expressed in ideas about “development as freedom”, “rights-based development” and the “right to development” as a human right. These global discourses of development and human rights are contrasted with localised ideas of “rights”, “development”, and “civil society”, as these may vary between societies and normative traditions.
The course also offers critical examinations of these conceptual developments by addressing human rights in the practices of international development agencies, as appropriated by civil society, and thorough the application of a rights based approach to selected human rights issues like, e.g., the HIV/AIDS pandemic and marginality and poverty.
Learning outcome
The course provides and opportunity to reflect on development as a human rights issue, and to discuss how development policies impact human rights enhancement. The course challenges the students to reflect on new concepts of development which explicitly interrelate rights and development, and at the same time to address opportunities and constraints to advance development and freedom though development policies and interventions.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Preference is given to students enrolled in the Master of Philosophy program in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
none
Recommended previous knowledge
Participants should have a general command of the subject matter studied in the first semester courses of the Master of Philosophy program in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights
Overlapping courses
none.
Teaching
The course is conducted through lectures, seminars and student assignments.
Examination
Written examination (6 hours). Grades A-F (F=Fail).
Other
The course may eventually be given in spring 2007. Information will be given in autumn 2006.