IR389 – Human Rights in World Affairs
Summer 2012[*]
Oya Yeğen T: 11:40-14:30 FASS G048 F: 14:40-17:30 FASS 2031
Course Description: This course introduces students to the foundations of human rights theory and practice. The course analyzes what constitutes as human rights (political, economic, social, and cultural rights) and examines contemporary issues around the globe. The course will also offer a critical analysis of international human rights norms and its enforcement by focusing on major international institutions and the documents that govern the human rights regime as well as the role of states, individuals, NGOs and the media. The course will begin with an overview of the philosophy of human rights, followed by the history of human rights, the international law of human rights and the scope of human rights. It will take into consideration whether we can talk about universal human rights and question the cultural relativism argument. The course will also review application of human rights by exploring the judicial and political enforcement mechanisms. The course will conclude by discussing human rights in Turkey.
A typical lecture will begin with the presentation of the topic and will be followed by class discussion on readings and relevant discussion questions.
Course Objectives:
1)to explore the development of the concept of human rights and various critiques of this concept.
2) to define and identify human rights and to survey their implementation in world affairs.
3) to expose students to a variety of human rights issues in contemporary world with class discussions.
4) to understand the strengths and weaknesses of efforts to promote and protect human rights by individuals, non-governmental organizations, states, and international organizations.
5) to explore different human rights problems in different countries by focusing on case studies while trying to see the bigger picture.
Required Readings:
The Course Reader will be available at the Canon Copy Center.
There are also three movies that are assigned for this course in order to compliment the readings.
Also, please maintain an awareness of current events in the world so we can discuss them in class as examples of the subjects we are covering. For these purposes, please make use of reputable newspapers such as those of the New York Times, The Financial Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal or news agencies such as BBC News, CNN, Al-Jazeera, Reuters and etc.
Course Policies:
There is not going to be an extention unless a student has a written official documentation of an emergency (i.e. medical notice from a doctor documenting your illness).
It is imperative that students follow the standards and provisions set by Sabanci University. Students’ cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences will not be tolerated.
Please always feel free to e-mail me at any time or talk to me during class breaks or after class. If you have a matter that requires extended discussion, please see me during my office hours or arrange to meet me at a convenient time. I will do my best to respond to your emails within 24 hours.
Course Requirements:
- Attendance: (10%) Will be taken randomly during the semester.
- Participation: (15%) Based on the quality of comments and questions throughout the course.
- Take home exam (35%) The exam will include identification items and essay questions.
- Research Paper (40%) 10-15 page research paper on analysis and discussion of a human rights problem in one country or a comparative study of two or more countries. Students are encouraged to select their own topics and get approvalfrom the instructor but otherwise can ask for suggestions. Students are expected to develop original ideas and engage in critical thinking on human rights. 5% of the grade is determined by the presentation of the paper.
Course Outline:
Week 1: Historical and Intellectual Background
July 3: International Human Rights before WWII
- Paul Gordon Seen, The Evolution of International Human Rights, 3rd ed. Ch. 1 and 2.
- R. J. Vincent, Human Rights and International Relations, 1986. Ch. 1 and 2.
July 6: Development of International Human Rights after WWII
- Paul Gordon Seen, The Evolution of International Human Rights, 3rd ed. Ch. 7-8.
- Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) available at
- Aryeh Neier, “The New Double Standard”Foreign Policy No. 105 (Winter, 1996-1997), pp. 91-102.
Week 2 Human Rights and International Law
July 10: Human Rights Law
- David J. Bederman, Internatioal Law Frameworks, 3rd ed. Ch. 9.
- J. Martin Rochester, Between Peril and Promise: The Politics of International Law. Ch. 4.
July 13:International Criminal Tribunals
- Gary Bass, “Nuremberg”, in Stay the Hand of Vengeance, (Princeton University Press 2000).
- Pierre Hazan “The Interminable Trial of Slobodan Milosevic”, in Justice in a Time of War, (Texas A&M University Press 2004).
- Watch: Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
Week 3 Generations of Human Rights
July 17: Economic Rights and Refugee Rights
- Richard Falk, “Interpreting the Interation of Global Markets and Human Rights in Alison Brysk, Globalization and Human Rights.
- Daniel Chong, “Economic Rights and Extreme Poverty: Moving toward Subsistence” in The International Struggle for New Human Rights, ed. Clifford Bob.
- Gil Loescher, "Refugees: A Global Human Rights and Security Crisis", in Dunne and Wheeler, Human Rights in Global Politics, pp. 233-258.
July 20: Women’s Rights and Indigeneous/Minority Rights
- Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Ch. 12.
- Amelia Lucia Cabezas, “Tourism, Sex Work, and Women’s Rights in the Dominican Republic” in Alison Brysk, Globalization and Human Rights.
Week 4
July 24: Human Rights and Foreign Policy
- Kathryn Sikkink, Mixed Signals: U.S. Human Rights Policies and Latin America, ch. 4-7.
- Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Ch.9.
- Watch: Missing (1982)
July 27: Cultural Relativism
- Ann Elizabeth Mayer, "Islamic Tradition and Muslim Reaction to Human Rights", chapter 3 of Mayer, Islam and Human Rights: Tradition and Politics, 3rd. Ed., Boulder: Westview, 1999, pp. 39-62.
- Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Ch. 5
- Wm. Theodore de Bary, Asian Values and Human Rights: A Confusian Communitarian Perspective, 1998. Ch.1.
Week 5 Human Rights and Judicial Enforment
July 31: Universal Jurisdiction
- Henry A. Kissinger, “The Pitfalls of Universal Jurisdcition” in Foreign Affairs , 80, no. 4 (July/Aug. 2001): 86-96.
- Kenneth Roth, “The Case for Universal Jurisdiction” in in Foreign Affairs, 80, no.5 (Sept./Oct. 2001): 150-54.
- Naomi Roht-Arriaza, The Pinochet Effect: Transnational Justice in the Age of Human Rights, 2005. Ch. 7.
August 2: International Criminal Court and Local and National Efforts
- Kenneth A. Rodman, “Is Peace in the Interests of Justice? The Case for Broad Prosecutorial Discretion at the International Criminal Court”Leiden Journal of International Law(2009), 22: 99-126
-Aryeh Neier, “Rethinking Truth, Justice and Guilt after Bosnia and Rwanda”, in Hesse and Post (eds.) Human Rights in Political Transition: from Gettysburg to Bosnia.
- Watch, The Reckoning (2009)
Week 6 Human Rights and Political Enforcement
August 6:The Impact of Sanctions and Political Pressue and the Role of NGOs and Media
- Kenneth Roth, “Defending Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Practical Issues Faced by an International Human Rights Organization,” Human Rights Quarterly 26. (Feb., 2004), pp. 63-7
- Shane Weyker, “The Ironies of Information Technology” in Alison Brysk, Globalization and Human Rights.
- Aryeh Neier, “Economic Sanctions and Human Rights”, in Realizing Human Rights:Moving from Inspiration to Impact.Ed. Samantha Power and Graham Allison.
- Martin Shaw, “Global Voices: Civil Society and the Media in Global Crises” Dunne and Wheeler, Human Rights in Global Politics, pp. 233-258.
August 10: Humanitarian Intervention
- Wayne Sandholtz “Humanitarian Intervention: Global Enforcement of Human Rights?” in Alison Brysk, Globalization and Human Rights.
- Kofi Annan, “Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention in the Twenty-First Century” in “Economic Sanctions and Human Rights”, in Realizing Human Rights:Moving from Inspiration to Impact.Ed. Samantha Power and Graham Allison.
- Samantha Powers, “Bystanders to Genocide, Atlantic Monthly, September 2001.
Week 7
August 14: Human Rights and Turkey
- May Lou O’Neil, “Linguistic Human Rights and the Rights of Kurds” in Human Rights in Turkey, ed. Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, 2007.
- Yildiz Ecevit, “Women’s Rights, Women’s Organizations, and the State” in Human Rights in Turkey, ed. Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, 2007.
- Fusun Turkmen, “Turkey’s Participation in Global and Regional Human Rights Regimes” in Human Rights in Turkey, ed. Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, 2007.
August 17: Student presentations and course wrap-up.
[*] Syllabus will be revised slightly for Summer 2012.