Minor in Human Rights Studies

This course investigates basic philosophical questions regarding human rights, such as their status between morality and law, their scope and the problem of relativism, the concept of human dignity, their relation to democracy, whether national or cosmopolitan, and the debate over the justifiability and feasibility of socioeconomic rights as human rights.

Note: Students who have received credit for this topic under a 298 number may not take this course for credit.

This course introduces students to the historical origins of the concept of human rights; the international regime and the acceptance of several generations of rights such as civil and political rights, economic rights, group rights, and women's rights; the critiques of universalism and the problems of implementation of human rights.

Note: Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 298 number may not take this course for credit.

This course considers African-American literature from the renewal of southern segregation laws, through the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary writing, tracing the works of such writers as Toomer, Hurston, Hughes, Wright, Ellison, Giovanni, Reed, Walker, Dove, and Morrison.

This course studies the native literature of Canada and/or the United States, from oral performance traditions, transcriptions and translations into English, and writing in English by such authors as Johnston, Campbell, King, Highway, Momaday, Erdrich, Allen, and Silko.

A survey of literature in English from formerly colonized regions such as Africa, South Asia, North America, the South Pacific, and Caribbean. Through an examination of representative texts, the course addresses such issues as the process by which English spread throughout the world as a result of British imperialism, and the development of writing in English both before and during the period of decolonization.

This course considers how literature in English by writers from sub-Saharan Africa is embedded in the history and experience of colonization and decolonization. The course includes such auithors as Achebe, Soyinka, Saro-Wiwa, Emecheta, Okri, Armah, Aidoo, Farah, Dangarembga, Coetzee,and Gordimer. The focus is on the political and aesthetic issues raised by African writing in English.

The course studies literature from South Asia written in English by authors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, such as Rushdie, Anand, Das, Narayan, Ghosh, Desai, Chaudhuri, Markandaya, Sahgal, Salvaduri, Sidhwa, Rao, and Mistry. The focus is on the significance of pre-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial socio-cultural concerns as expressed in a variety of literary genres. Attention is given to English as a tool of colonization as well as a means for critiquing cultural hegemony.

Prerequisite: FPST 301. This course focuses on the relationship between First Peoples and the Canadian justice system. It looks specifically at how the Canadian legal, judicial, and penal system has dealt with First Peoples through time. The course also explores pre-contact forms of justice, tensions between European and indigenous conceptions of justice, First Peoples response to Canadian justice, and the emergence of alternative, indigenous mechanisms of judicial administration within communities in Quebec and Canada.

Prerequisite: See N.B. number (1). This course examines historical and contemporary aspects of Canada's culture of rights. Topics include the origins and workings of the Canadian Charter and critiques of rights culture.

Note: Students who have received credit for this topic under a HIST 398 or POLI 398 number may not take this course for credit.

Prerequisite: See N.B. number (1). Through the comparative and historical examination of a number of cases, this course investigates the meaning of genocide and the processes that have led to it up to 1920.

Note: Students who have received credit for HIST 368 or SOCI 366 or 368 may not take this course for credit.

Prerequisite: See N.B. number (1). Through the comparative and historical examination of a number of cases, this course investigates the meaning of genocide and the processes that led to genocide from 1920 to the present.

Note: Students who have received credit for HIST 368 or SOCI 367 or 368 may not take this course for credit.

Prerequisite: See N.B. number (2). This advanced seminar focuses on a selected topic in the history of human rights and justice. The emphasis is on encouraging students to conduct historical investigation independently, under a professor's supervision. The specific content may vary from year to year.

Prerequisite: Sixty credits or permission of the Department. This course examines cross-cultural journalism practices as they pertain to both international news coverage and local reportage in a multicultural setting. The course asks students to apply basic theoretical concepts to concrete case studies of the news.

Philosophical discussions of ethics have both practical significance (What should one do?) and theoretical interest (What does it mean to say "That's the right thing to do"?). In this course, students are introduced to some representative approaches to ethical thought and action. General questions about the nature of ethical reasoning are also considered. For example: Are there objective ethical truths or are ethical judgements merely relative to social norms? An effort is made to incorporate those ethical issues which are of specific importance to contemporary society.

Note: Students who have received credit for PHIZ 232 may not take this course for credit.

Prerequisite: Three credits in Philosophy or Political Science, or permission of the Department. This course provides an historical introduction to and critical analysis of political-philosophical concepts. These concepts may include tolerance, violence, separatism, racism, and nationalism.

A philosophical study of natural law, legal positivist, and legal realist replies to the question of what law is. Contemporary and classical replies are criticized and are applied to cases. The associated issues of legal moralism, legal justice, legal obligation and its limits, and legal reasoning are treated.

Note: Students who have received credit for PHIL 357 may not take this course for credit.

A philosophical study of the nature, sources, and functions of rights and duties. Attention is given to the particular rights associated with contract and property, and their abuse; to duties arising by law alone; to excuses and justifications for failure to fulfil duties; and to enforcement, punishment, and compromise.

Note: Students who have received credit for PHIL 358 may not take this course for credit.

This course surveys the politics of selected contemporary movements such as environmentalism, peace, human rights, and feminism. It also provides a comparative analysis of the politics of dissent.

This course surveys normative questions comprising human rights discourse, with an emphasis on international efforts to promote human rights standards. Topics include the role of the United Nations, the North-South debate, environmental security, the obligation of individuals and states, women's rights and the work of non-governmental organizations. Special consideration is given to the controversy between the universal and particular applications of human rights.

Note: Students who have received credit for POLZ 388 may not take this course for credit.

This course surveys normative questions comprising human rights discourse, with an emphasis on international efforts to promote human rights standards. Topics include the role of the United Nations, the North-South debate, environmental security, the obligation of individuals and states, women's rights and the work of non-governmental organizations. Special consideration is given to the controversy between the universal and particular applications of human rights.

Note: Students who have received credit for POLZ 388 may not take this course for credit.

This course considers ethical issues arising in the context of social, legal, and political relations. These issues are discussed in relation to both traditional and contemporary moral perspectives, both religious and non-religious. Topics covered typically include discussions of social and economic inequality, welfare, poverty, just punishment, business ethics, public ethics, economic development, and sustainable development.

Note: Students who have received credit for RELI 332 or RELZ 312 may not take this course for credit.

Prerequisite: See N.B. numbers (1) and (3). The course develops, through case analysis, insight into the differing priorities and competing concepts of human rights and human dignity in "non-Western" cultural traditions as well as in "Western" societies. It explores the significance of religious and other ideological positions in the use and abuse of human rights by governments, extra-governments, international bodies, as well as the general public. The course also examines topics such as women's human rights, sexuality and human rights, and human rights in development, the limits of sovereignty, and state accountability.

Note: Students who have received credit for ANTZ or SOCI 380 may not take this course for credit.

Focusing on the relationship between church, state, and democracy, this course examines the intersection of religion and politics by studying the connections between moral values and political beliefs in different settings around the world. It explores how religious beliefs have shaped politics and have impacted democratization, education, and citizenship. At the same time, it reflects on the way in which politics has affected religious life and religious organizations.