Concentration

Human Rights and Humanitarianism Interdepartmental Concentration

This concentration provides students an opportunity to engage in the interdisciplinary study of human rights and humanitarianism. The objectives of the concentration are to cultivate in students: (a) a familiarity with major developments in the history of human rights and humanitarianism; (b) an understanding of the institutional frameworks governing human rights and humanitarianism, including international law, international organizations, civil society movements, etc.; (c) an understanding of the theoretical and philosophical debates about the meanings of human rights and humanitarianism; (d) a capacity to understand and evaluate practical debates over the methods, motivations, and consequences of human rights and humanitarian action, including but not limited to questions of policy-making, fieldwork, and media and artistic representation; (e) a familiarity with a range of current and past global (including local, national, and international) human rights problems.

Given that students and faculty approach the study of human rights and humanitarianism from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, the program permits students to complete this concentration in conjunction with a wide array of majors. The program promotes breadth by requiring that students complete courses in more than one department.

Human Rights and Humanitarianism Interdepartmental Concentration

Structure of the Concentration

A concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarianism consists of five (5) courses selected from two lists of courses: Framework Courses and Specialized Courses. Of these five courses, at least two (2) must come from the list of Framework Courses and at least one (1) from the list of Specialized Courses.

Students are encouraged to pursue internships and take study away courses in the areas of human rights and humanitarianism. These may be counted toward the concentration with the approval of the program coordinator.

Framework Courses

These courses provide students with a basic understanding of the international norms of human rights and humanitarianism, the history and purpose of the primary intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the philosophical/historical/intellectual background of the field. Framework courses focus on a limited set of practices as a way of providing a basic, common language for students.

ANTH 246 - Refugees/Humanitarian Response
ENGL 265 - Literature and Human Rights
INTL 245 - Introduction to International Human Rights
POLI 221 - Global Governance
POLI 323 - Humanitarianism in World Politics
SOCI 280 - Indigenous Peoples' Movements in Global Context

Specialized Courses

These courses offer students a chance to acquire more detailed mastery of specific topics, themes, or regions in studies of human rights and humanitarianism. Specialized courses offer exposure to the broader array of histories and movements dedicated to the promotion of human dignity and the protection of human rights.

AMST 301 - Critical Prison Studies
ANTH 358 - Anthropology of Violence
ANTH 362 - Culture and Globalization
HIST 224 - African American History Before 1865: Enslavement, Resistance, and Emancipation
HIST 378 - War Crimes and Memory in East Asia
INTL 335 - Global Generosity
INTL 352 - Transitional Justice
MUSI 155 - Music and Freedom
POLI 207 - US Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
POLI 141 - Latin America Through Women's Eyes
POLI 245 - Latin American Politics
POLI 324 - Women, Peace and Security
INTD 421 - Human Rights and Humanitarianism Colloquium

The concentration's specialized courses also include several recently developed topics course that may be offered again in upcoming semesters:
ANTH 194/ENGL 194 Writing Human Rights
ANTH 194/FREN 194 Language of Diplomacy
ANTH 394 Gender, Power and Sexualities in Africa
HIST 394 The Holocaust

INTD 421 - Human Rights and Humanitarianism Colloquium, may count as an elective along with another 2-credit course, internship, or independent study, with permission from the Program Director.