OADH 4110 - Human Rights in China

This course will provide students with a broad overview of the human rights situation in China, and, especially, in relation to pressing contemporary challenges of: democracy, censorship, religion, development and natural resources. The factors that have given rise to a radically different conception of rights and justice (i.e. political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological) will be explored, together with the obstacles in terms of interpretation and implementation they are encountering at local and national levels. What is the relationship and relevance of the international human rights movement to the Chinese notion of rights? What impact is this having on local gender relations and the relationships of women to their states and communities? Are human rights NGOs weakening or strengthening the nation-states in China? Are they sites of resistance or complicity? How does China respond to national pressures asking for religious freedom, freedom of expression, democracy and independence? Is repression the answer to all Chinese problems? The subject will draw upon a wide range of sources, including theoretical works, philosophical and anthropological studies, NGO, activists' documents and newspaper articles to offer a more nuanced perspective on what Human Rights mean to China and how European countries can contribute to promote a new notion of rights in the country.

>>> LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Being able to critically evaluate the notion of Human Rights from an Asian perspecive.
2. Develop better and more nuanced awareness of the current status of social, political, and human rights in China.
3. Understand China's unique understanding of Human Rights.
4. Research & Analysis - Collecting and analyzing information to increase understanding of a topic or issue
5. Creative thinking - Looking at problems or situations from an original perspective
6. Critical thinking - Engaging in reflective and independent thinking
>>> PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

1. Oral communication - Communicating effectively and adequately orally
2. Written communication - Communicating effectively and adequately in writing
3. Negotiation - Implementing a dialogue process to reach an agreement or resolve a disagreement
4. Understanding multiculturalism - Adapting to and communicating with different audiences
5. Problem solving - Using generic or ad hoc methods in an orderly manner to find solutions

Claudia ASTARITA

Séminaire

English

Students are required to dedicate 5 hours per week to this course: 2 for the seminar, 2 for readings, 1 for assignment preparation.

No prerequisites required for this course

Spring 2021-2022

To validate the course, the student is expected to pass the following assignments:
1°) 1 in-class presentation worth 50% of the final grade. You will be allowed to choose a topic of your interest for the presentation, but you are expected to do a short but in-depth presentation on a very specific topic. (A List of possible topics will be shared with the class at the beginning of the semester).
2°) 5 x 300-word reflective essays, each worth 10% (total 50%). Reflective essays should be based on any of the reading associated to this course. Your reflections should not be summaries of the readings. The purpose of this assignment is to develop the students' reading skills and abilities to critically engage ideas and construct persuasive arguments.

Class sessions will be a combination of traditional lectures and seminar-style discussions, with student participation regularly solicited.