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Høst 2019

SOA-2008 Minorities, Culture and Human Rights - 10 stp


The course is administrated by

Institutt for samfunnsvitenskap

Type of course

Type of course

The course can be taken as a singular course.


Course contents

Course contents

Cultural relativism, a key anthropological concept, holds that right and wrong are defined from within a cultural context and that it is not possible to develop moral principles that apply to all cultures and all situations. From this perspective, the notion of universal human rights, which apply in the same way to every human being, can be seen as an imposition of "western" values and standards upon the world. Anthropological debates about universalism vs cultural relativism have become more nuanced and sophisticated in recent decades. The relationship between collective and individual rights has also been an important focus. Anthropologists have applied the hallmark method of the discipline - long-term fieldwork and participant observation - to deepen understanding of the meaning of human rights at local, national, and international levels. Some have also engaged in activist research with communities, joining them in local and global struggles for minority rights.

This course will trace the anthropological debates about Human Rights, looking at theoretical concepts, juridical frameworks and international norms. We will discuss methodological approaches to the study of human rights and related ethical issues. The emphasis will be on minority rights, including indigenous peoples, national minorities, gender minorities and refugees - and the intersections of these categories.


Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

Exchange students and Fulbright students: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.


Admission requirements

Admission requirementsApplication code (for Nordic students): 9199

Objective of the course

Objective of the course

Successful completion of the course will lead to the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge:

Skills:

General competence:


Language of instruction

Language of instruction

The lectures and the exam questions will be given in English, but students will be allowed to answer the exam questions in Norwegian. Coursework-assignments can be writing in Norwegian or English.


Teaching methods

Teaching methods

8 lectures and 4 seminars, 2 hours each.  


Assessment

Assessment

Coursework-assignments: There will be two assignments during the course, both must be approved in order to take the final exam. The assignments may be written in either English or Norwegian. The students will receive all further details in class.

The examination is a take home exam, 10 pages (3500 words).

Grades are given on a scale from A - E. The exam will be given in English, and students may answer the exam in either Norwegian or English.

If the students get the grade F, re-sit exam will be given the following semester.


Date for examination

Home examination hand out date 01.11.2019 hand in date 08.11.2019

The date for the exam can be changed. The final date will be announced at your faculty early in May and early in November.