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MHIS2001 – Between Hope and Despair: A History of Human Rights

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Max Barnett
max.barnett@mq.edu.au
1-2PM Wednesdays
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above OR (10cp in HIST or MHIS or MHIX units)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

What are human rights? How have they evolved and what is the political and cultural investment in them? How and why does a concept defined by hope and aspiration, promising human rights and freedoms, remain elusive and problematic in theory and practice? We will explore this history through social movements and legal systems, as well as politics, philosophy and rights discourses. We consider the personal and collective stories of human rights and explore key moments in their development from Magna Carta to Indigenous self-determination and climate change. The unit deepens and complicates understandings of modernity developed in MHIS1001 and MHIS1002. In addition, it provides crucial historical background, context and terminology for students interested in careers in international law, foreign aid, global politics and humanitarian organisations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Understand changing ideas of human rights over time and place.
  • ULO2: Understand critiques of human rights from feminist and postcolonial perspectives.
  • ULO3: Understand the appropriate legal and political structures within which human rights are articulated.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate advanced critical writing skills in making sustained and evidence-based arguments about the past.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Weekly quizzes 20% No From Tuesday weekly from week 3
Research Essay 50% No 31 May 2024
Article analysis 30% No 5 April 2024

Weekly quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: From Tuesday weekly from week 3
Weighting: 20%

 

Each week students will be given an online quiz, based on the unit content. This task usually ensures adequate student preparation, kicks off good discussions, and enables us to identify any writing issues.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand changing ideas of human rights over time and place.
  • Understand critiques of human rights from feminist and postcolonial perspectives.
  • Understand the appropriate legal and political structures within which human rights are articulated.
  • Demonstrate advanced critical writing skills in making sustained and evidence-based arguments about the past.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 31 May 2024
Weighting: 50%

 

Students are expected to develop their own research essay question in consultation with teachers. Essays should include reference to at least four primary sources and ten secondary sources. The ‘further reading’ lists in the unit guide will be the best place to start research. The point of this task is to hone your research skills; hone your ability to make a sustained argument with evidence; and hone your ability to write persuasively. Refer to the history essay-writing guide on iLearn for information about argumentation and form. (3000 words).

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand changing ideas of human rights over time and place.
  • Understand critiques of human rights from feminist and postcolonial perspectives.
  • Understand the appropriate legal and political structures within which human rights are articulated.
  • Demonstrate advanced critical writing skills in making sustained and evidence-based arguments about the past.

Article analysis

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 5 April 2024
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will locate a recent article (last 12 months) in the media about human rights somewhere in the world. They are then asked to offer a close readings of the article. They will need to identify and discuss the larger human-rights context and ideology behind the story. This assessment task helps students note their development in learning about human rights and prepare for the larger research essays to come in terms of critical analysis and writing. (1500 words).

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand changing ideas of human rights over time and place.
  • Understand critiques of human rights from feminist and postcolonial perspectives.
  • Understand the appropriate legal and political structures within which human rights are articulated.
  • Demonstrate advanced critical writing skills in making sustained and evidence-based arguments about the past.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures for this unit will be pre-recorded and available as zoom recordings in each weekly tab.

All lectures will have accompanying powerpoint slides that will also be uploaded in each weekly tab.

There are also face-to-face tutorials of 1.5 hours duration. These start from week 1.

Tutorial attendance is not compulsory for this unit but please ensure you attend a class in week 1. 

External Students: All content and assessment requirements are the same for students enrolled in external mode. In addition, you are required to login in to the online discussion forum for weekly discussions.

Weekly Readings will be available on Leganto.

Unit Schedule

Week Starting

Lecture

1. 19th Feb

Introduction

2. 26th Feb

The 1940s Moment

3. 4th March

Human Rights Traditions

4. 11th March

The Evolution of Rights

5. 18th March

Holocaust and Human Rights

6. 25th March

Cold War, Australia and the UN

7. 1st April

Decolonisation – The Colour of Rights

8. 8th April              

Women’s Rights as Human Rights                  

 

BREAK

9. 29th April

The Rights of the Child

10. 6th May

Climate Change

11. 13th May

Indigenous Rights as Human Rights

12. 20th May

Unit wrap-up

13. 27th May

READING WEEK

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.01 of the Handbook