Handbook home
Poverty, Human Rights and Development (LAWS70430)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5Not available in 2018
Overview
Fees | Look up fees |
---|
Human rights, community development and poverty are three areas that demand both critical academic scholarship as well as committed practical intervention. The three areas are distinct yet also overlapping, and this subject will explore the personal, political, programmatic and conceptual dimensions of theories and practice in all three areas.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this subject will explore how human rights have been invoked to challenge development practices that produce or exacerbate extreme poverty and how international development institutions like the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have incorporated human rights principles in their poverty alleviation initiatives. Throughout, this subject will take a historical and critical perspective, working with case studies to interrogate the efficacy of human rights practices to challenge the underlying geopolitical dynamics that produce and perpetuate global poverty. This subject will be grounded in the lived experiences of people in different contexts around the world, to localise the conceptual discussions within the dynamic realities of everyday life.
Principal topics include:
- Concepts of human rights
- Law and legal consciousness in everyday life
- Scope, distribution and socio-political dynamics of global poverty
- Questions of measuring development and monitoring economic and social change
- Representation and social mobilisation of human rights, development and poverty concerns.
- Overview of major international organisations charged with poverty alleviation (World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations Development Program)
- Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach to human development
- History and theory of the right to development and rights-based development
- Concept of poverty as a human rights violation
- Human rights conditionalities on development projects (for example, related to economic management or social inclusion)
- The pragmatic use of rights rhetoric and tools to build social movements to fight poverty
- Thematic case studies on areas including health (focusing on HIV), gender equality, education, food security and civic participation in local and national decision-making processes.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the legal principles of human rights, community development and poverty
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the similarities and differences between human rights, community development and poverty
- Be an engaged participant in debate regarding emerging and contemporary issues in the field, such as different international aid mechanisms, representations of poverty, the Sustainable Development Goals, Millennium Development Goals and post 2015 Agenda, as well as the critical issues at the intersection of human rights, development and poverty such as HIV, gender equality, and education
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of different conceptual foundations for human rights, development and poverty and the potentially different contextual impact this may have
- Have an advanced understanding of at least one case study to provide in-depth analysis of human rights, development and poverty in a real life setting, for example through an institutional or thematic case study, or a national policy and indicator review
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding human rights, develop and poverty to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences
- Be able demonstrate self-awareness and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of human rights law and international development.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Melbourne Law Masters Students: None
JD Students: Successful completion of the below subject:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50049 | International Human Rights Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Class participation, including an in-class presentation (10%)
- Two short 500 word reflective response papers (10%)
- Take-home examination (5,000 - 6,000 words) (80%)
or - 6,500 - 8,000 word research paper (80%) on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
A minimum of 75% attendance is a hurdle requirement.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2018
Time commitment details
136-150 hours The pre-teaching period commences four weeks before the subject commencement date. From this time, students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from Melbourne Law School. Refer to the Reading Guide for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students. Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from the Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
law.unimelb.edu.au
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-admissions@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022