London, United Kingdom

International Politics of Human Rights

The module will explore what human rights are and the different explanations of where rights come from. How human rights have changed and become imbedded in international law since World War II will be explored. An understanding of the political advantage governments seek through violating human rights will be sought and the economic and social consequences of repression, examined. Whether previous cycles of repression - like slavery, for example - make countries more likely to use violence today, will be considered. Real-world examples will be used to test and illustrate the arguments made in the literature - the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and the former conflicts in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland are a few examples. By the end of the module, students will be able to critically assess and apply theories of repression to real-world cases and will have sufficient knowledge of the literature to begin carrying out their own research in this area.

Course leader

Dr Kaleigh Heard

Target group

This is a level one module (equivalent to first year undergraduate). No prior subject knowledge is required for this module, but students are expected to have a keen interest in the area.

Course aim

Upon successful completion of this module, students will:

Through the critical study of academic texts and real-world examples of government policy choices; have an understanding of why governments violate human rights
Have developed a conceptually and empirically informed understanding of the debates surrounding human rights repression, and a respect for and understanding of the substantive topical questions which have been asked concerning the repression of human rights
Have gained the ability to critically engage with the debates in the literature on human rights repression and respect
Have developed the skills associated with reading about, understanding, and discussing conceptual issues and theoretical debates; applying concepts and theories to the empirical study of human rights; writing essays and participating in group discussions
Have increased subject knowledge that allows progression to further specialised study of human rights and/or employment in a related field.

Credits info

7.5 EC
7.5 ECTS / 4 US / 15 UCL

Fee info

GBP 2350: Students joining us for six weeks (two modules) will receive a tuition fee discount.
GBP : Students are welcome to apply for accommodation at a UCL summer residence.