1007. Introduction to Human Rights

Exploration of central human rights institutions, selected human rights themes and political controversies, and key political challenges of contemporary human rights advocacy. CA 2. CA 4-INT.

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2100. Human Rights and Social Change

Interdisciplinary exploration of the dynamic intersection between human rights and struggles for social change in a variety of contexts. Emphasis on how history, theory, and practice influence the power dynamics that promote or undermine human rights through social change. CA 2. CA 4-INT.

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2100W. Human Rights and Social Change

Interdisciplinary exploration of the dynamic intersection between human rights and struggles for social change in a variety of contexts. Emphasis on how history, theory, and practice influence the power dynamics that promote or undermine human rights through social change. CA 2. CA 4-INT.

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2150. Devising Theatre for Social Justice I

Making theatre without a pre written script to address a social justice topic of interest, moving from initial stimulus to concluding performance. Students will center a contemporary issue of social justice while developing theatre making skills, emphasizing collaborative co creation, small group work, and the development and presentation of a range of performance forms. CA 1.

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2170W. Bioethics and Human Rights in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Philosophical examination of the ethical and human rights implications of recent advances in the life and biomedical sciences from multiple religious and cultural perspectives. CA 1.

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2200. Introduction to Genocide Studies

Interdisciplinary introduction to the study of genocide as an historical, legal, social, political, and conceptual phenomenon, including response, prevention, and commemoration efforts. CA 2. CA 4-INT.

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2203. The Holocaust in Print, Theater, and Film

Representations of the Holocaust, including first-hand accounts and documentaries; artistic choices in genre, structure, imagery, point of view, and the limits of representation. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

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2210. Art and Activism

A history of the relationship between art and political activism around the world from the 1960s to the present.

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2220. Asian Indian Women: Activism and Social Change in India and the United States

How gender, class, and ethnicity/race structure everyday lives of Asian Indian women in both India and the United States.

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2263. Women, Gender, and Violence

Discussion of various forms of gendered violence in the United States and in a global context. Physical, sexual, emotional and structural violence; social, political and personal meanings of gendered violence; special emphasis on women.

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2300E. Engineering for Human Rights

Foundational concepts of human rights and engineering ethics from a global perspective. Discussions of the role of engineering in society from human rights and different ethical perspectives. Principles of “Engineering for human rights” on distributive justice, participation, consideration of duty bearers, accountability, and indivisibility of rights. Case study analysis of engineering projects for human rights impacts. CA 2.

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2400. Ethics and Sustainability in New Financial Technologies

Exploration of the ethical, sustainability, and human rights implications of the new financial technology (FinTech) sector. Topics may include cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and the potential use of FinTech instruments to address contemporary human rights issues.

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2450. Human Rights in Latin America

Fundamental concepts and recurrent challenges of human rights in Latin America.

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2520. White Racism

The origin, nature, and consequences of white racism as a central and enduring social principle around which the United States and other modern societies are structured and evolve. CA 4.

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2530. African Americans and Social Protest

Social and economic-justice movements, from the beginning of the Civil Rights movement to the present.

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2800. Human Rights in the United States

Sociological analyses of human rights issues in the United States, including economic, racial, and gender justice; prisoners' rights and capital punishment; the role of the United States in international human rights agreements and treaties; and struggles on behalf of human rights.

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2800W. Human Rights in the United States

Sociological analyses of human rights issues in the United States, including economic, racial, and gender justice; prisoners' rights and capital punishment; the role of the United States in international human rights agreements and treaties; and struggles on behalf of human rights.

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2830. Class, Power, and Inequality

Inequality and its consequences in contemporary societies.

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2845. Sociology of Global Human Rights

Comparative approach to the study of human rights in the United States and elsewhere around the world from a sociological perspective.

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2898. Topics in Sociology and Human Rights

Variable topics covering theoretical and empirical examination of social, political, economic, legal, and/or cultural issues of human rights from a sociological perspective.

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2996. Directed Research I

Provides students an opportunity to conduct research with a faculty member or graduate student.

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3028. Indigenous Rights and Aboriginal Australia

An introduction to the study and understanding of Aboriginal ways of life and thought. An exploration of the complexity of contemporary indigenous social orders and land rights issues. CA 4-INT.

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3028W. Indigenous Rights and Aboriginal Australia

An introduction to the study and understanding of Aboriginal ways of life and thought. An exploration of the complexity of contemporary indigenous social orders and land rights issues. CA 4-INT.

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3042. Theories of Human Rights

Various theories of human rights, both historical and contemporary. Conceptual arguments both in favor and critical of the theory and practice of human rights will be considered, with literature taken primarily from philosophy and political theory.

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3050. Approaches to Human Rights Advocacy

The study of international and domestic non-governmental organizations in human rights advocacy and campaigns.

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3055. Theory and Practice of International Criminal Justice

International humanitarian and criminal law; genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression, and theories of individual criminal responsibility.

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3139. Theatre and Human Rights

Provides a critical study of theatre production as political discourse in global areas of conflict and how that discourse defines, or is defined by, human rights issues.

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3149. Human Rights Through Film

Human rights-related issues explored via the cinematic medium. Both the substantive content and the technical aspects of the films will be analyzed through a combination of lecture, viewing, and group discussion.

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3149W. Human Rights through Film

Human rights-related issues explored via the cinematic medium. Both the substantive content and the technical aspects of the films will be analyzed through a combination of lecture, viewing, and group discussion.

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3200W. International Human Rights Law

International and regional human rights law, institutions, and regimes; specialized topics include corporate social responsibility, women's human rights, truth commissions, humanitarian intervention, international criminal law, monitoring, and compliance. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

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3201. The History of Human Rights

Case studies in the emergence and evolution of human rights as experience and concept.

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3202. International Human Rights

Historical and theoretical survey of the evolution of human rights since 1945.

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3207. Genocide after the Second World War

Origins of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Several case studies of genocide post WWII: Cambodia, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Darfur. Causes and underlying dynamics of genocide with an emphasis on the international response. Critical evaluation of military, political, and non-governmental measures to prevent genocidal acts.

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3209. Sustainable Energy in the 21st Century

Political, socioeconomic, environmental, science and engineering challenges of energy sources; comparison of feasibility and sustainability of energy policies around the world.

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3212. Comparative Perspectives on Human Rights

Cultural difference and human rights in areas of legal equality, women's rights, political violence, criminal justice, religious pluralism, global security, and race relations.

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3219W. Topics in Philosophy and Human Rights

What are human rights? Why are they important? Topics may include the philosophical precursors of human rights, the nature and justification of human rights, or contemporary issues bearing on human rights.

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3220W. Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights

Ontology and epistemology of human rights investigated through contemporary and/or historical texts. CA 1.

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3221. Latinos/as and Human Rights

Latino/a issues related to human, civil and cultural rights, and gender differences.

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3230. Propaganda, Disinformation, and Hate Speech

Draws on current social science research to understand the effects of false information and hate speech on our politics and culture and to evaluate various private and public initiatives to regulate speech. CA 2.

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3232. History of Refugees, Migration, and Statelessness

Forced and voluntary migration and statelessness in the era of the modern state. Topics include the social and political factors influencing population movement; the experience of migration and statelessness; rights of refugees, migrants, and the stateless; immigration policy; international action; and social and political responses to migration.

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3250W. Human Rights and New Technologies

The role of new technologies in the fulfillment, protection and enforcement of human rights; technology-related human rights benefits and risks, including privacy, security, and equality; technical and legal innovations for balancing benefits and risks. CA 1.

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3252. Business and Human Rights

This course examines the human rights implications of multinational enterprises’ global operations. Students learn how to assess corporate social impact through a human rights framework, consider the challenges of regulating the human rights impacts of global business, analyze international policy responses, and evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches to enforcing human rights standards for corporations.

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3254. Social Responsibility and Accountability in Business

This course examines corporate social responsibility (CSR), accountability, and related concepts. Students learn about the actors, processes, legal and social norms that shape firm’s management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues from a global and human rights perspective. Students gain experience in identifying and critically assessing market-based solutions to societal challenges.

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3256. Politics and Human Rights in Global Supply Chains

Political and human rights implications of regulating contemporary global supply chains: official regulatory frameworks; non-regulatory approaches to rule-making (such as voluntary corporate codes of conduct and industry standards); social responses to the dilemmas of "ethical" sourcing of goods and services.

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3256W. Politics and Human Rights in Global Supply Chains

Political and human rights implications of regulating contemporary global supply chains: official regulatory frameworks; non-regulatory approaches to rule-making (such as voluntary corporate codes of conduct and industry standards); social responses to the dilemmas of "ethical" sourcing of goods and services.

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3257. Assessment for Human Rights and Sustainability

Foundational concepts of human rights and environmental impacts pertaining to global supply chains. Regulations and voluntary standards in engineering-intensive sectors, including infrastructure, biofuels, electronics. Case study analysis of corporate assessment practices for labor rights protection and environmental impacts.

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3293. International Study

Special topics taken in the Education Abroad program.

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3294. Topics in Human Rights in Central America

This winter session course in Costa Rica considers a contemporary topic of interest in human rights in the Central American region. Topics may include migration, indigenous rights, women's rights, economic development, environmental rights, and more. Offered as part of the Experiential Global Learning program. With a change in topic may be repeated for credit for a maximum of six credits.

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3295. Special Topics

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3298. Variable Topics

Issues in human rights, history, law and policy, or practices. Prerequisites and recommended preparation vary.

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3299. Independent Study

Supervised reading and writing on a subject of special interest to the student.

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3309. Violence and Human Rights

Violence and human rights as cultural constructs; human rights claims; war, genocide, terrorism, street crime, domestic violence; deterrence and intervention policy.

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3326. Global Health and Human Rights

Theories, methods and controversies in the interconnected fields of global health and human rights.

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3327. Power and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean

History, theories, and concepts about the human right to health and structural inequalities in the region.

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3401. Applied Research in Human Rights

Development of research skills through practical experience in the field of human rights. In the classroom, students learn fundamentals of research design, data collection and analysis. Outside class, students develop these skills by directly contributing to active research projects centered on human rights issues led by faculty members.

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3418. International Organizations and Law

The role of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and international law in world affairs with special attention to contemporary issues.

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3420. Being International: Geopolitics and Human Rights

Human rights theories and debates and their historical, institutional and geopolitical contexts.

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3428. The Politics of Torture

Examination of the usage of torture by state and non-state actors. Questions include, "Why is torture perpetrated?" "What domestic and international legal frameworks and issues related to the use of torture?" "How effective are existing legal prohibitions and remedies?" "Who tortures?" and "How does torture affect transitional justice?"

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3430. Evaluating Human Rights Practices of Countries

Examination of the ways in which governments, businesses, NGOs, IGOs, and scholars assess which human rights are being respected by governments of the world. Hands-on experience in rating the level of government respect for human rights in countries around the world.

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3445. Economic Foundations of Gender Inequality

Economic approaches to gender inequality in political representation, economic opportunities, access to education, and health.

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3460. Human Rights and Armed Conflict

Examines the relationship between human rights and armed conflict from a social science perspective. Explores human rights abuses as cause and consequence of armed conflict. Evaluates the effectiveness of the human rights and humanitarian approaches to conflict management

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3475. Economic Development and Human Rights

Microeconomics of economic development and human rights. Impacts of human capital, health, education, on well-being and poverty.

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3540. Topics in Human Rights Practice

Seminar on topics in theoretical and practice-based knowledge and skills related to human rights. Topics vary by semester.

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3563. African American History to 1865

History of African-American people to 1865, from their West African roots, to their presence in colonial America, through enslavement and emancipation. Adaptation and resistance to their conditions in North America. Contributions by black people to the development of the United States.

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3575. Human Rights, Digital Media, Visual Culture

The problematics of digital media and visual representation in conceptualizing, documenting, and visualizing human rights and humanitarian issues. CA 1.

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3580. Image as Witness: Testimony, Witness, Confession

Explores the role of visual culture in bearing witness to human rights abuses.

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3580W. Image as Witness: Testimony, Witness, Confession

Explores the role of visual culture in bearing witness to human rights abuses.

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3602. Human Rights on the U.S./Mexican Border: Narratives of the Immigrant Experience

A view of the U.S./Mexican border from the perspective of immigrants and border residents. Course considers autobiography, film and documentary, poetry, fiction and non-fiction in the context of human and civil rights concerns on both sides of the border. Students analyze the effectiveness of narrative and representational strategies, activist interventions, and national and international responses to the needs of migrants and border dwellers. Through border, narrative and human rights theories, students piece together a global conversation on migrant rights.

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3619. Topics in Literature and Human Rights

Study of literature from various historical periods and nationalities concerned with defining, exploring, and critiquing the idea of universal human rights.

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3631. Literature, Culture, and Humanitarianism

Relationships between literature and culture and humanitarian movements, from the eighteenth century to the present.

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3631W. Literature, Culture, and Humanitarianism

Relationships between literature and culture and humanitarian movements, from the eighteenth century to the present.

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3640. Human Rights Archives I: Documenting and Curating Community Memory

The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will learn methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. This is the first part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

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3641. Human Rights Archives II: Visual Storytelling Practices

The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will be trained in different documentary techniques and storytelling approaches working with oral history narratives and archival materials. This is the second part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

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3807. Constitutional Rights and Liberties

The role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the Bill of Rights. Topics include freedoms of speech and religion, criminal due process, and equal protection.

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3828. Social Documentary in Theory and Practice

The study of the evolution of the documentary genre and its potential use as a vehicle for social discourse and change. Through sustained engagement with the documentary genre, students will gain direct experience in shooting and editing short form documentary films.

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3846. Genocide and Mass Killings in Asia

Case studies of historical and/or contemporary genocide and mass killings in Asia. May focus on any time period and any part of the continent. CA4-INT.

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3846W. Genocide and Mass Killings in Asia

Case studies of historical and/or contemporary genocide and mass killings in Asia. May focus on any time period and any part of the continent. CA4-INT.

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4291. Service Learning Seminar/Internship

Combination of supervised fieldwork within the larger human rights community with regular classroom meetings for reflection/analysis on the application of human rights concepts and practices. Students must secure a satisfactory intern position before the end of the second week of the semester of enrollment in this course; students should be in consultation with the instructor several months in advance.

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4996W. Senior Thesis

Research and writing of major project exploring a topic with human rights, with close supervision and production of multiple written drafts.

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