Information of the subject

1. Course details

1.1. Content area

Emerging Human Rights

1.2. Course nature

Optional

1.3. Course level

Grado

1.4. Year of study

XX

1.5. Semester

First semester

1.6. ECTS Credit allotment

3.0

1.7. Language of instruction

English

1.8. Prerequisites

No prerequisites

1.9. Recommendations

-

1.10. Minimum attendance requirement

-

1.11. Faculty data

Mariano C. Melero de la Torre

mariano.melero@uam.es

Faculty of Law

Department of Public Law and Legal Philosophy 

Room 92

Phone: 91.497.8347

NOTE. The teaching team is available at  the school´s website. 

1.12. Competences and learning outcomes

1.12.1. Competences

Our basic aim is that our students develop the following capabilities:

1. Understanding and critical analysis of the reading materials. We attempt to foster curiosity, interest and innovative thought about the topics that will be discussed throughout the course. 

2. More specifically our goal is that our students be capable of grasping general philosophical, legal and social ideas about human rights, its complexities – from a justificatory and conceptual standpoint- as well as its historical development and implementation through international and national legal instruments. 

1.12.2. Learning outcomes

-

1.12.3. Course objectives

-

1.13. Course contents

A. Lectures

1. Student Obligations:

- The students should read and prepare the assigned material before the lecture. We expect their critical and relevant participation and, eventually, some oral presentation of one of the discussed topics.

2. Syllabus:

Lecture 1: Human Rights: An introduction

Lecture 2: The characteristics of Human Rights

Lecture 3: The origin and the evolution of Human Rights

Lecture 4: The gender perspective of Human Rights

Lecture 5: Emerging Human Rights (I)

Lecture 6: Emerging Human Rights (II)

Lecture 7: Emerging Human Rights (III)

Lecture 8: Emerging Human Rights (IV)

Lecture 9: The International Law of Human Rights (I)

Lecture 10: The International Law of Human Rights (II)

Lecture 11: The International Law of Human Rights (III)

Lecture 12: The International Law of Human Rights (IV)

Lecture 13: Contested Topics (I)

Lecture 14: Contested Topics (II)

Lecture 15: Concluding remarks

3. Final Exam:

There will be a final exam covering the reading material and the content of the lectures.

B. Seminars

1. Student obligations:

- The students should have read and prepared the reading material assigned for each class. 
- The students are expected to fulfill an 80% of the proposed activities.

2. Each week we will dedicate the second part of the class to analyze the reading material assigned for the day, which will be available in advance in the Moodle webpage. Eventually, there will be some oral presentations by the students.

3. Reading materials:

The reading materials will be made available in the Moodle webpage.

1.14. Course bibliography

Beitz, Charles (2009). The Idea of Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

Buchanan, Allen (2013). The Heart of Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

Griffin, James (2008). On Human Rights. Oxford University Press.

Hunt, Lynn Avery (2007). Inventing human rights. A history. W. W. Norton & Company.

Ishay, Micheline R. (2004). The History of Human Rights. University of California Press.

Nickel, James W. (1987). Making Sense of Human Rights. Oxford University Press. University of California Press.

Nussbaum, Martha (2000). Women and human development. The capabilities approach. Cambridge University Press.

2. Teaching-and-learning methodologies and student workload

2.1. Contact hours

A. Lectures:

- The professor will give a brief introduction to the topic and will organize the following discussion. 
- The students will prepare the classes in advance with the recommended basic bibliography.

B. Seminars:

In the seminars we will analyze the reading materials that will take up the issues covered in the lectures (during the first hour of each week).

In order to analyze the texts we will turn to:

- Oral presentations by the students
- Questions and problems raised by the professor
- Case resolution
- Control of the texts comprehension through the students' participation in class. 

2.2. List of training activities

3. Evaluation procedures and weight of components in the final grade

3.1. Regular assessment

1. Continuous assessment:

The students are expected to participate actively in the discussions. 

Students who join the course late may be able to carry out evaluation activities that have already taken place. 

2. Final exam:

To take the exam, the students should have completed at least 80% of the activities during the course. 

There will be a final exam that will cover all the lectures and the reading materials. It will last approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes and it may consist of a questionnaire and/or a critical commentary.

3.1.1. List of evaluation activities

3.2. Resit

The second exam will have the same characteristics as the first one. Students will keep the continuos assessment obtained during the course.

In second enrollment, students will be able to keep the continuous assessment mark.

3.2.1. List of evaluation activities

4. Proposed workplan