Human Rights Syllabi: Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley

Amnesty International USA Resource Notebook: Syllabi for the College Classroom

 

Southern Methodist University


The Struggle for Human Rights

Spring 1999 - Hist 3301/Cf 3317

Rick Halperin
121 Clements Hall
(768-3284)

The study of human rights requires intellectual history and moral courage, for no nation or society in human history has been totally innocent of human rights abuses. This course will examine certain violations of human rights within their historical context. Attention will also be given to the evolution of both civil and human rights as entities within global political thought and practice. Students will be encouraged to rely on reasonable evidence and critical thinking when studying these historical controversies, rather than on biased accounts or emotional arguments. From torture to terrorism and from slavery to genocide, students will discuss the current status of human rights in the world today. There will be short papers assigned on topics under consideration and a group term project/term paper due on April 20. Classes will meet in 101 Dallas Hall.

Grading Breakdown:

Human Rights Journal : 20 %

Community Service/Term Paper: 20%

Topical Summary Papers/Film Reviews: 20%

Art/Creative Project: 20%

Final Exam: 20%

Required Texts:

  1. Ishay, Micheline R. The Human Rights Reader: Major Political Essays, Speeches, and Documents from the Bible to the Present.
  2. Kolchin, Peter, American Slavery 1619-1877.
  3. Greenhaven, Slavery Opposing Viewpoints.
  4. Brown, Dee, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
  5. Birenbaum, Halina, Hope Is the Last to Die: A Coming of Age Under Nazi Terror.
  6. Friedlander, Henry, The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution.
  7. Harris, Sheldon H., Factories of Death: Japanese Biological Warfare, 1932 - 45, and the American Cover-Up.
  8. Browning, Christopher, Ordinary Men.
  9. Wyman, D. The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 1941-45.
  10. Prejean, Helen, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States.
  11. Kiernan, Benjamin. The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power and Genocide in Cambodia 1975-79.
  12. Greenhaven, The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints.
  13. Mayotte, Judy, Disposable People? The Plight of Refugees.
  14. Millett, Kate, The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment.
  15. Forrest, Duncan, A Glimpse of Hell: Reports on Torture Worldwide.

Outline of dates, topics, readings and videos:
(portions of videos will be viewed in class.)

Tues. January 12

Introduction to Human Rights: The Problem Defined

Videos: Right Human Relations, Israel and the O.T.

Before Tues. Jan. 19: Video: Closetland

Tues. January 19

Political Philosophy of Western Thought

Video: Romero

Tues. January 26

Landmark Documents and the Struggle to Safeguard Human Rights

Video: Missing

Before Tues. Feb. 2: Film or Video: Birth of a Nation

Tues. February 2

Human Rights Violations: The American Experience of Slavery

****First Summary Due****

Before Tues. Feb. 9: Video: Do the Right Thing, or Rosewood

Tues. February 9

Slavery 1830-1877 (part II); Segregation, Civil Rights Movement and the Present

Video: Ku Klux Klan

Before Tues. Feb 16: Videos: Thunderheart, Incident at Oglala

Tues. February 16

The American Experience Continued: Native Americans

Brown

Video: In The White Man's Image

Tues. February 23

The Holocaust (part I)

Videos: World At War: Vol. 1 ("A New Germany"), World At War: Vol. 20 ("Genocide")

****Second Summary Due****

Before Mar. 2 ****Note: You Must See at Least Two****

Stalag 17, Schindler's List, The Diary of Anne Frank,Triumph of the Will, Night and Fog, Warsaw Ghetto,

The Eternal Jew, or Lodz Ghetto (classroom version)

Tues. March 2

The Holocaust (part II)

Thurs. March 4

The Holocaust (part III): Visit to the Dallas Memorial Center for Holocaust Studies

Tues. March 16

The U.N. and its Legal Safeguards: The UDHR and other Human Rights Documents

Videos: UDHR

Frontline - Remember My Lai

Before Tues. Mar. 23 : Video: The Killing Fields

Tues. March 23

The Holocaust (part IV): Cambodia

Videos: Great Decisions

Cambodia: Year 10

Tuesday March 30

The Death Penalty: Global

Begin reading Prejean & The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints

Videos: The Next Step

Executions

****Third Summary Due****

Before Tues. Apr.6: Videos: ****Note: You Must See at Least Two:

12 Angry Men, Thin Blue Line, Let Him Have It, The Ox-Bow Incident, In Cold Blood, The Executioner's Song, The Last Light, Dead Man Walking, The Execution Protocol

Tues. April 6

The Death Penalty: United States (I)

Video: Double Justice: Race & Capital Punishment

Tues. April 13

The Death Penalty: United States (II)

Begin reading Mayotte

Tues. Apr. 20:

Refugees: The Innocent Victims

Videos: Central American Refugees

Who Gets In?

****Fourth Summary Due****
****Community Service/Term Paper Due.****
****Human Rights Journals Due****

Before Apr.27 : Video: In the Name of the Father

Tue. April 27

Human Rights Worldwide: 1990's Watchwords (Torture, EJE, Disappearance)

****Tape or Art Work Due.****

Tues. May 4

****Final Exam***

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