GLOBALIZATION & human rights

SYLLABUS OF THE COURSE

Soc 280-022
Cross-listed with International Studies: INTS 398-022
and Peace Studies: PAX 397-022
Tues. and Thurs. 1:00 -2:15, DH 529
Spring 2000
Classroom: DH 734
INSTRUCTOR
Marco Tavanti
Office: DH 234C
Office Hours: One hour before each class or by appointment.

Please contact the professor by e-mail at: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Human rights play a major role in redefining global trends. To explore this role, the course will examine both how human rights impact and are also challenged by the globalization process. We will first explore the globalization process itself and how economic, political, and technological changes are affecting today's societies. Second, we will consider the expansion in the meaning of human rights, from its origins to the contemporary debate based on the UN Universal Declaration. Human rights, in the broader sense, are the key components for understanding the emerging global culture and global civil society. The course will focus on Chiapas, Rwanda, the Balkans, Tiananmen Square and other recent case studies of human rights violations. Cross-cultural perspectives will integrate the sociological approach to this topic.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
The course seeks to provide students with (1) an understanding of globalization theories and recent developments in human rights studies; (2) international perspectives on the connections between human rights and economic, technological and cultural global trends; (3) an introduction to different case studies and how they create "global" solidarity movements for the protection of human rights; (4) explore research on the Internet and in other alternative media.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students will write two short analytical papers (3-5 pages in 12 font size and double line spacing) in response to the weekly readings. The FIRST PAPER (due February 24, 2000) should be focussed on a contemporary theoretical and social issue in globalization studies. The SECOND PAPER (due March 30, 2000) should be focussed on a contemporary theoretical and social issue in human rights studies. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions on the readings. The FINAL PAPER (8-12 pages and due May 4, 2000) should reflect the student research on a specific topic that includes both globalization and human rights. Student should be able to present their research in clear and creative class presentation (see course calendar). Small papers are worth 20% each of your final grade. Your final paper is worth 50%, your active participation to the course together with your final presentation is worth 10% of your final grade.


COURSE READINGS
Required Books
1. Donnelly, Jack. 1998. International Human Rights. Boulder, CO.: Westview Press.
2. Gurtov, Mel. 1999. Global Politics in the Human Interest. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.

Required Articles (ART)
Amstutz, Mark. 1999. "The Ethics of International Human Rights" Ch. 4 in International Ethics. New York and Boulder: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bacevich, Andrew. 1999. "Policing Utopia: the military imperatives of globalization." The National Interest, Summer, No. 56, pp.5-14.
Blanton, Lindsey Shannon. 1999. "Instruments of security or tools of repression" Arms Import and Human Rights Conditions in Developing Countries." Journal or Peace Research, 36, 2. Pp. 233-44.
Devetak, Richard and Richard Higgott. 1999. "Justice Unbond? Globalization, states and the transformation of the social bond." International Affairs 75, 3. Pp. 438-98.
Evans, Tony. 1997. "Universal Human Rights: Imposing Values." In Globalization and the South edited by Thomas and Wilkin. Pp. 90-105.
Felice, William. 1999. "The viability of the United Nations approach to economic and social human rights in a globalized economy." International Affairs 75, 3. Pp. 563-98.
Gills, Barry. 1997. "Whither Democracy?: Globalization and the 'New Millennium"" in Globalization and the South, edited by Caroline Thomas and Peter Wilkin. NY: St. Martin Press, pp.60-75.
Ishay, Micheline. 1997. "Introduction" of The Human Rights Reader, edited by M. Ishay.NY: Routledge.
Malone-France, Derek. 1999. Universal Human Rights, Federalism, and the International Criminal Court." International Court of World Peace, 16, 1. Pp. 31-49.
Meyer, William. 1998. "Case Studies of Multinational Corporations and Human Rights" Ch.5 in Human Rights and International Political Economy in the Third World Nations. Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Moore. Rebecca R. 1998. "Globalization and the future of U.S. human rights policy. " The Washington Quarterly. v21 pp193-213.
Ouweneel, Arij. 1997. "Away from Praying Eyes: The Zapatista Revolt of 1994." In Kevin Gosner and Arij Ouweneel, eds. Indigenous Revolts in Chiapas and the Andean Highlands. Amsterdam: CEDLA.
Symonides, Janusz . 1998. "Cultural rights: a neglected category of human rights." International Social Science Journal. v.50 pp.559ff.
De Angelis Massimo. The Autonomy of the Economy and Globalization.
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons/aut_html/glob.html
Susskind, Yifat. What's So Liberal About Neo-Liberalism? Some Basics on the Global Economy
http://www.848.com/globe/neolib.html


COURSE CALENDAR
(see the symbol "&" for the books and articles to read)

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Tuesday January 18: Distribution of the Syllabus
Thursday January 20: The World's Perspectives and Ours… (The Peters' World Map as Metaphor for the new standpoint of human rights to interpret current global trends)

WEEK 2: INTRODUCING GLOBALIZATION STUDIES
Tuesday January 25: Global Insecurity and the Interdependence of a Globalized World (Video: Globalization and Human Rights)
& Gurlow, ch.1: Crisis and Interdependence in Contemporary World Politics
Thursday January 27: The New World (Dis) Order after the Gulf War
& Gurlow, ch.2: Realism and Corporate Globalism in Theory and Practice

WEEK 3: GLOBALIZATION OF ECONOMY?
Tuesday February 1: Neoliberalism: The Case of NAFTA
& De Angelis "The Autonomy of the Economy and Globalization" (ART) and Susskind "What so Liberal about Neo-Liberalism? (ART)
Thursday February 3: The Role of Multinational Corporations (Video: The Big One)
& Meyer: "Case Studies of Multinational Corporations and Human Rights" (ART)

WEEK 4: GLOBALIZATION OF POLITICS?
Tuesday February 8: The Changing role of the State
& Gills: "Whither Democracy?" (ART); Devetak and Higgott: "Justice Unbound?" (ART);
Thursday February 10: The Ongoing Politics of Underdevelopment
& Gurtov, ch. 4: The Third World and the Fourth: Human rights, Environmental Decline and Underdevelopment.

WEEK 5: GLOBALIZATION OF INJUSTICE?
Tuesday February 15: The Growing Militarization in Global Times: Small Hot Wars after the Cold War
& Gurtov, ch. 5: The United States and Russia: Empires in Transition
Thursday February 17: US Military World Supremacy: Defending Human or National Rights?
& Bacevich: "Policing Utopia: The Military Imperatives of Globalization." (ART)

WEEK 6: GLOBALIZATION OF CULTURE?
Tuesday February 22: Universal Human Rights are Imposing Values?
& Evans: "Universal Human Rights" (ART); Ishay: "Introduction" (ART)
Thursday February 24: After 50 Years from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Class discussion)
& (FIRST PAPER DUE)

WEEK 7: EMERGING GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS
Tuesday February 29: The Emergence of Internationally Recognized Human Rights
& Donnelly, ch.1: Human Rights as an Issue in World Politics
Thursday March 2: International Rights Between Relativism and Realism
& Donnelly, ch.2: Theories of Human Rights

SPRING BREAK (MARCH 2 TO MARCH 12)

WEEK 8: LATIN AMERICAN CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS: THE CASE OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
Tuesday March 14: International Agreements and Repression of Indigenous Rights
& Donnelly, ch. 3: The Domestic Politics of Human Rights: The Case of the Southern Cone.
Thursday March 16: Video: The Victims of the War In Chiapas
& Ouweneel: "Away from Prying Eyes: The Zapatista Revolt of 1994" (ART)

WEEK 9: AFRICAN CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS: THE CASE OF RWANDA
Tuesday March 21: The Scapegoat of "Tribal Genocide" Vs International Intervention in Africa
& Donnelly, ch.4: The Multilateral Politics of Human Rights; Amstutz: "The Ethics of International Human Rights." (ART)
Thursday March 23:
& Donnelly, ch.5: Human Rights and Foreign Policy.

WEEK 10: THE ASIAN CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS: THE CASE OF TIANANMEN, CHINA
Tuesday March 28: The Challenge of Democracy and Freedom
& Donnelly, ch.6: Responding to Tiananmen
Thursday March 30: Non-Western Perspectives on Human Rights. (Class Workgroup)
& SECOND PAPER DUE.

WEEK 11: THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS: THE CASES OF BOSNIA AND KOSOVO
Tuesday April 4:
& Donnelly, ch.7: War and Genocide in the Former Yugoslavia
Thursday April 6:
& Malone-France "Universal Human Rights, Federalism and the International Criminal Court" (ART)

WEEK 12: THE FUTURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
Tuesday April 11
& Donnelly, ch.8: International Human Rights in a Post-Cold War World
Thursday April 13
& Felice: "The Viability of the United National Approach to Economic and Social Human Rights in a Globalized Economy." (ART)

WEEK 13: CLASS PRESENTATIONS (FIRST PART)
Tuesday April 18

Tuesday April 20

WEEK 14: CLASS PRESENTATIONS (SECOND PART)
Tuesday April 25

Thursday April 27

Thursday May 4: FINAL PAPER DUE

© Marco Tavanti