AIR203 - Human Rights in World Politics
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Costas Laoutides |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | AIR234 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
The unit explores the evolution of the modern human rights regime as well as some of the major debates about the role of human rights in international relations, such as: the dichotomy between individual and group rights; discussion on Universalism and Relativism; the relation between state sovereignty, violence and human rights.
Accordingly, the unit focuses on critically applying these debates to contemporary issues of human suffering such as: genocide, forced migration, state terrorism. The unit will then examine international mechanisms of addressing human wrongs in world politics such as humanitarian intervention and the International Criminal Court. The unit will conclude with recent challenges on human rights coming from the changing nature of warfare in the twenty first century, to this end the role of private military companies and the use of artificial intelligence in the battlefield will be explored.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Apply the concept of human rights in international politics, evaluate the scholarly debates surrounding this concept and develop a clear understanding of the human rights norms and rules in the international system and the challenges they face | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Engage in critical analysis of particular episodes of human suffering in world politics and to provide an assessment of human rights debates by discussing ideas with clarity | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Evaluate the evolving challenges to human rights in the twenty first century and the consequent impact on the human rights standards in the international political system | GLO8: Global citizenship |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Online Quiz | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 2: Essay | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 8 |
| Assessment 3: Test | 1600 words | 40% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for AIR203 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.