PCON 301 - International Human Rights and Advocacy

The gap between the promise of international human rights law and its actual practice is vast. For many advocates and activists, the gap is a source of frustration as international human rights laws and norms rarely translate into basic protections at the level of the individual. This course is designed to make students aware of the contentious nature of human rights, both in theory and in practice. It is premised on the idea that human rights are constantly claimed and developed, if not made anew, by multiple actors–whether as rights-holders, advocates, or otherwise, and that this takes place in the context of intense struggle between state and non-state actors. Students examine both the international human rights regime and the struggle for human rights, and how they interact in practice. The course takes a purposeful right-based and victim-centered approach, with the goal of introducing students to the profession of human rights advocacy.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: PCON 111 or PCON 218 or ANTH 218 or SOAN 218 or PCON 225
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: None
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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