Human Rights in Southeast Asia
Subject 110-553 (2009)
Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook
| Credit Points: | 12.50 | ||||||||||||
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| Level: | 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate) | ||||||||||||
| Dates & Locations: | This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009: Semester 2, - Taught on campus.
Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here. | ||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: | Contact Hours: A 2-hour seminar per week Total Time Commitment: Total of 8.5 hours per week. | ||||||||||||
| Prerequisites: | None | ||||||||||||
| Corequisites: | None | ||||||||||||
| Recommended Background Knowledge: | None | ||||||||||||
| Non Allowed Subjects: | None | ||||||||||||
| Core Participation Requirements: |
For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry. It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability |
| Subject Overview: | This seminar will focus on human rights and its critics from a historical and comparative perspective. We will explore the factors that have given rise to radically different conception of rights and justice (i.e. political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) and look at their implementation and the obstacles at the local, national, and international levels. The first part of the course will deal briefly with specific conventions; the rest of the course will engage case studies for understanding the internationalisation of human rights discourses and the role of international organisations and NGOs in implementing them. What is the relationship and relevance of the international human rights movement to local notions of rights? What impact is this having on local gender relations and the relationships of women to their states and communities? Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in Southeast Asia; are they sites of resistance or complicity? The seminar introduces students to different conceptions of rights, and social justice, including feminist critiques of rights discourse and of 'development'; ethnographic studies on the relationship between attitudes towards bodily integrity and human rights; the debates about poverty, economic development and access to adequate health care as human rights. We shall draw upon a wide range of sources from theoretical works, philosophical and anthropological critiques of rights discourse, and NGO documents. On completion of the subject students should have a broad historical, comparative and critical perspective on the debates about rights and justice in Southeast Asia. |
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| Objectives: |
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| Assessment: | An reading notebook/diary of 2000 words 40 per cent (end-semester) and a research paper of 3000 words 60 per cent (end of semester). |
| Prescribed Texts: | Materials prepared by the Institute. |
| Breadth Options: | This subject is not available as a breadth subject. |
| Fees Information: | Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date |
| Generic Skills: | • the reception of new ideas and the contextualisation of judgments; the adaptation of knowledge to new situations; • critical analysis and synthesis through the study of competing theories of rights and their application to diverse examples; the engagement with and processing of different critical perspectives across the interdisciplinary field of asian studies; the development of independent thought and arguments; • effective written and oral communication through seminar discussions and debates; critical reading skills through the reading notebook, the preparation and execution of written assessment exercises; exposure to and emulation of competing genres and protocols of critical writing; • information management and information literacy through the practice of library and archival research and engagement with electronic databases; • teamwork, flexibility, and tolerance through group discussions in seminars; reception of new ideas and opinions; engaging and cooperating with other people from diverse backgrounds; • time management and planning through managing and organizing workloads for recommended reading, seminar presentations, and assessment requirements. |
| Related Course(s): |
Bachelor of Public Policy and Management(Honours) Master of Arts (Asian Societies) Master of Arts (International Studies)(Adv. Seminars and Shorter Thesis) Master of Criminology (CWT) Master of Development Studies (Gender & Development) Master of Development Studies(CWT) Master of Global Media Communication Master of International Business Master of International Business Master of International Politics Master of International Studies Master of Islamic Studies Master of Public Policy and Management (Coursework) Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies |
| Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: |
Asian Studies Gender Studies Indonesian Indonesian Islamic Studies Islamic Studies Political Science Political Science Political Science Public Policy and Management Public Policy and Management |
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