GEND 3016EX - Encountering Human Rights: Global Citizenship III

External - Semester 1 - 2018

Since the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, a global human rights industry has emerged, making human rights abuses ever more visible, yet global injustices and abuses are arguably as common and entrenched as ever. This course will take a critical approach both to human rights violations, and to the human rights discourses and campaigns that seek to remedy them. We will look at case studies involving rights issues in globalised contexts, for instance refugees, human trafficking, international women's rights campaigns and global Indigenous movements. We will explore the ways in which universal rights have been embraced, problematised and reconfigured as they travel the globe. We will also look at different ways of presenting rights issues - through reports, campaigns, and visual documentary - seeking the most effective ways of presenting rights issues to global publics. Considering these questions we will explore our own reactions to human rights imagery and victims' testimonies, and discuss the most productive ways to respond to the ways in which we are positioned as global citizens with a responsibility for responding to rights issues. The course will offer the opportunity to pursue individual interest in a particular rights issue, and is suitable for those who want to take their interest in social justice into advocacy, campaign or development work, for those who want to cover human rights issues in creative or media work, and for those who simply want to think about how to be ethical and engaged global citizens.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEND 3016EX
Course	Encountering Human Rights: Global Citizenship III
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	External
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week online
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	At least 6 units of Level II undergraduate study
Incompatible	GEND 2016/EX, GSSA 2019/EX, GSSA 3002/EX
Assessment	Short essay (500 word) 30%, Group presentation 20%, Research essay (2,000 word) 40%, Tutorial presentation 10%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Anna Szorenyi

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1 Participate in informed discussions on human rights issues in a variety of local and global contexts
2 Show leadership in arguing for the importance of protecting human rights in their various dimensions
3 Articulate both benefits and limitations of conceiving of social justice issues in terms of human rights
4 Identify and discuss the major rights issues currently evolving under 21st Century globalisation
5 Conduct informed, independent research on particular human rights issues, paying attention to local context, and report findings to a professional standard6Evaluate specific human rights campaigns in terms of social justice, ethics, and empowerment
7 Identify and/or develop innovative and effective ways of presenting rights issues to various publics and stakeholders
8 Engage respectfully and enthusiastically in cross-cultural contexts and debates
9 Construct a clear, coherent and independent argument which responds to a particular question and is supported by appropriate scholarly evidence, within identified timeframes.
10 Demonstrate interpersonal, leadership and teamwork skills in group activities

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1-4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1,2,3,4,6,9
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	10
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1,3,5,6,8
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	8.10

Learning Resources

Required Resources

MyUni site including set readings, recorded lectures, and online discussion.

Recommended Resources

An extensive list of further resources will be provided during semester. These include:
A list of further readings on each topic

Resource guides on Harvard referencing and essay writing

Assistance with finding library research materials

Online Learning

This is the external version of the course: the entire course takes place online via the course MyUni page found at http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au

This site includes announcements, readings, discussion boards, recorded lectures, assignment submission and further resources.

Students wishing to study the course on campus and attend lectures and workshops in person should enrol in the internal course GEND 3016, rather than GEND 3016EX.

Learning & Teaching Modes

Online learning:

Recorded Lectures (audio and slides) - Critical overview of course material and introduction to key concepts.

Online Seminars - extended group and self-guided learning, via online discussion board. You will discuss readings, debate issues, pursue case studies and share resources.

Group activities - you will form a small group to work on group projects and engage in peer research. Several methods will be provided for interaction including discussion boards, email and file sharing. Other methods may be offered during semester.

Independent study:

Reading of scholarly texts and research reports

Independent library and internet research on a chosen topic

Designing and writing an independent research project.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

You are expected to spend 12 hours per week on this course during each week of semester.
1 hour lecture
2 hour workshop
9 hours independents study, including:

2-4 hours on weekly set readings

5-7 hours on further research, reading and assignment preparation

Learning Activities Summary

Schedule
Week 1	Introduction and history of the concept of human rights
Week 2	What's wrong with rights? Critiques of human rights
Week 3	Alternatives and possibilities: What could rights become?
Week 4	Who speaks for whom? Human rights testimonies
Week 5	Library research skills
Week 6	Visualising wrongs: Photography and video
Week 7	Gender and human rights
Week 8	Moving rights: forced migration, migrant labour and trafficking
Week 9	Human rights and Indigenous sovereignties
Week 10	New rights issues: Environment and genetics
Week 11	Conclusion: Human rights and global citizenship
Week 12	Assignment consultations

Small Group Discovery Experience

Group Presentation/SGDE:
Students will work in groups of 5-6 members to choose and research a human rights issue over the second half of semester, culminating in a presentation to the class. Students will be expected to find and share materials on their chosen topic, and seminar time will be provided for them to discuss their topic, plan, and prepare presentation materials. The aim is not only to inform the class about the issue, but also to carefully consider options for presenting the issue to an audience in the light of critical views on the ethics of human rights texts, as covered in the course. The teacher will be available to provide advice and guidance during seminars as well as give feedback on the final presentation. Students will be asked to evaluate their own performance in the team and also to comment on the group process.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Formative and Summative	Formative and Summative	Week 5	30%, 1000 words	1,2,3
Group research presentation	Formative and Summative	To be scheduled for second half of semester	20%	1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Research Report/Essay	Summative	End of semester	40%, 3000 words	1-10, especially 5,9
Online participation	Formative and Summative	Weekly throughout semester	10%	1,2,3,4,6,8,10

Assessment Related Requirements

Regular online participation is compulsory. For their participation grade students are required to contribute to at least 7 separate weekly discussion topics for the semester. Each topic closes when the new one opens, so you must participate regularly throughout semester; you cannot leave it until the last minute.

Students who do not meet this requirement will be asked for extra work (and should also expect to receive lower grades for assignments as they will have missed course material and communication skills development).

For their group project, students must contribute regularly and not let their fellow students down. Self and peer assessment components will mean that individual students who do not participate will be marked down. Students who do not contribute at all will receive zero for the presentation.

Assessment Detail

Short essay 1000 words
You will write an essay outlining your understanding of a key theoretical issue in human rights. Specific topics will be provided during semester. 30%

Group presentation
You will work with a group to select a human rights issue, research it, discussand develop the best way to present it, and present your findings to the rest of the class. (Note this assignment will contain components of peer and self-assessment). 20%

Research essay 3000 words
You will apply your learning in the course to developing a critical report on a human rights issue of your choice. Specific guidance will be provided during semester. 40%

Online Participation
You will be assessed on your contribution to the learning atmosphere of your online seminar, including evidence of preparation, verbal and non-verbal participation, level of comprehension, engagement in group and class exercises, and respect for and consideration of other students. 10%

Submission

Assignments will be submitted online, and checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator