Intercultural Approaches to Human Rights
Code:
IKF225Name:
Intercultural Approaches to Human RightsTeaching semester:
AutumnLocations:
BergenYear:
2025 — 2026Teaching language:
EnglishStudy points:
10 Credits
1) Compulsory attendance at classes (minimum 80% attendance)
2) Submission of three academic reflection logs
3) One oral group presentation
Home-exam ( 5 days and 3000 words +/- 10%) 70% of the final grade
Oral exam (30 minutes) 30% of the final grade
The home exam must have a passing grade before the oral exam. The student must pass the oral exam in order to receive a passing grade in the course.
On completion of the course, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student:
- has knowledge about the historical and cultural context of United Nations´ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on the universal validity of the declaration
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on key political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts, and can update his/her knowledge on human rights violations and human rights work
- has acquaintance with research on characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- is aware of research on various forms of human rights work and how human rights violations can be sanctioned
Skills
The student:
- can discuss and disseminate knowledge about the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the question of the universal validity of the Declaration
- can find, assess, and refer to information and academic literature, and present this to shed light on issues related to political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts.
- can identify and discuss the characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- can analyse human rights situation in selected country cases
- can apply his/her knowledge of human rights work, human rights bodies and various forms of human rights violations to assess various forms of work strategies to promote human rights
General competence
The student:
- can apply knowledge and concepts adequately to discuss gaps between human rights ideals and real world challenges
- can critically discuss what human rights consist of, and the concept of universality
- can analyse human rights violations in selected countries
- can apply knowledge about human rights and discuss strengths and weaknesses of human rights
- can ask questions and contribute to discussions with co-students and teachers
10 ECTS against IKF 223 Menneskerettigheter.
10 ECTS against IKF215 Menneskerettigheter i interkulturelt perspektiv
On completion of the course, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student:
- has knowledge about the historical and cultural context of United Nations´ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on the universal validity of the declaration
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on key political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts, and can update his/her knowledge on human rights violations and human rights work
- has acquaintance with research on characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- is aware of research on various forms of human rights work and how human rights violations can be sanctioned
Skills
The student:
- can discuss and disseminate knowledge about the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the question of the universal validity of the Declaration
- can find, assess, and refer to information and academic literature, and present this to shed light on issues related to political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts.
- can identify and discuss the characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- can analyse human rights situation in selected country cases
- can apply his/her knowledge of human rights work, human rights bodies and various forms of human rights violations to assess various forms of work strategies to promote human rights
General competence
The student:
- can apply knowledge and concepts adequately to discuss gaps between human rights ideals and real world challenges
- can critically discuss what human rights consist of, and the concept of universality
- can analyse human rights violations in selected countries
- can apply knowledge about human rights and discuss strengths and weaknesses of human rights
Book
International human rights
Jack Donnelly (forfatter), New York, Routledge, 2020, isbn:9780367217846,
View online
Book
Universal human rights in theory and practice
Donnelly, Jack, Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University Press, X, 320 s., 2013, isbn:9780801477706; 9780801450952,
View online
Article
"Women Run the Show"?: Gender Violence Reform and the "Stretching" of Human Rights in Rwanda
Hebert, Laura A., Routledge, 23-40, Journal of human rights, 1, 14, 2015-01-02, 23-40,
View online
Newspaper Article
Human Rights Watch: UN - Countries Call Out Rwanda's Rights Record
Washington, D.C, Targeted News Service, Targeted News Service, 2021-02-02,
View online
Document
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2022 United States Department of State @BULLET Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor ETHIOPIA 2022 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Human Rights Watch,
Document
A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid
B'tselem, b'tselem, 12.1.2021,
View online
Document
Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel
Human Rights Council,
View online
Document
Hopeless, Starving and Besieged. Israel's Forced Displacement of Palestinians in Gaza
Human Rights Watch,
View online
Document
Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. A Primer
By Joel Beinin and Lisa Hajjar,
View online
Document
No way to treat a child
DCIP,
Document
Prison or Exile. Cuba's Systematic Repression of July 2021 Demonstrators
Human Rights Watch,
View online
Article
Labour exploitation and work-related crime. The reshaping of the Norwegian media discourse on human trafficking and social dumping
Jahnsen, Synnøve Økland, Scandinavian University Press, 1-17, Nordic journal of criminology, 1, 25, 2024-02-27, 1-17,
View online
Article
Just trust me and you'll make a fortune - relationships between offenders and victims of human trafficking
Viuhko, Minna, Routledge, 196-212, Nordic journal of criminology, 2, 20, 2019-07-03, 196-212,
View online
Book
Children's rights in Norway : an implementation paradox?
Malcolm Langford (1972-) (redaktør/forfatter av forord/forfatter), [Oslo], Universitetsforl, 452 s., 2019, isbn:978-82-15-03142-2,
View online
10 ECTS against IKF 223 Menneskerettigheter.
10 ECTS against IKF215 Menneskerettigheter i interkulturelt perspektiv
On completion of the course, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student:
- has knowledge about the historical and cultural context of United Nations´ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on the universal validity of the declaration
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on key political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts, and can update his/her knowledge on human rights violations and human rights work
- has acquaintance with research on characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- is aware of research on various forms of human rights work and how human rights violations can be sanctioned
Skills
The student:
- can discuss and disseminate knowledge about the cultural background of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the question of the universal validity of the Declaration
- can find, assess, and refer to information and academic literature, and present this to shed light on issues related to political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts.
- can identify and discuss the characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- can apply his/her knowledge of human rights work, human rights bodies and various forms of human rights violations to assess various forms of work strategies to promote human rights
General competence
The student:
- has action competence and preparedness for action related to respect for human rights in Norway and internationally
Høsten 2023:
Book
International human rights
Jack Donnelly (forfatter), New York, Routledge, 2020, isbn:9780367217846,
View online
Book
Menneskerettigheter : en innføring
Gunnar M. Ekeløve-Slydal (1962-) (forfatter/redaktør), Beate Ekeløve-Slydal (1963-) (bidragsyter), Oslo, Humanist forl, 297, 2014, isbn:9788282821063,
Article
"Women Run the Show"?: Gender Violence Reform and the "Stretching" of Human Rights in Rwanda
Hebert, Laura A., Routledge, 23-40, Journal of human rights, 1, 14, 2015-01-02, 23-40,
View online
Newspaper Article
Human Rights Watch: UN - Countries Call Out Rwanda's Rights Record
Washington, D.C, Targeted News Service, Targeted News Service, 2021-02-02,
View online
Article
Rwanda anklages for grove brudd på menneskerettighetene
Bistandsaktuelt,
View online
Article
Monarchical Rule in Swaziland: Power is Absolute but Patronage is (for) Relative(s)
Woods, Dwayne, London, England, SAGE Publications, 497-513, Journal of Asian and African studies (Leiden), 4, 52, 2017-06, 497-513,
View online
Website
Eswatini Events of 2021
Human Rights Watch 2021,
View online
Website
ESWATINI 2021
Amnesty International,
View online
Article
China and the universal human rights standards
Wang, Jiangyu, Syracuse, Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, 135-, Syracuse journal of international law and commerce, 1, 29, 2001-09-22, 135-158,
View online
Article
The Evolution of Chinese Thinking on Human Rights in the Post-Mao Era
Weatherley, R., Taylor & Francis Group, 19-42, The journal of communist studies and transition politics, 2, 17, 2001-06-01, 19-42,
View online
Article
Why Scholars and Activists Increasingly Fear a Uyghur Genocide in Xinjiang
Smith Finley, Joanne, Abingdon, Routledge, 348-370, Journal of genocide research, 3, 23, 2021-07-03, 348-370,
View online
Book Chapter
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF PROSPERITY
Elisa Nesossi ; Ivan Franceschini, Chapter Author(s): Elisa Nesossi and Ivan Franceschini Book Editor(s): Jane Golley and Linda Jaivin, HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF PROSPERITY, ANU Press, 254-, 2018-04-09, 254-271, isbn:1760462020,
View online
Article
Midlertidig og evig : UNRWA og det palestinske flyktningspørsmålet
Kjersti G. Berg (forfatter), 34-49, Babylon (online), Årg. 18, nr. 1 (2020), 2020, 34-49,
View online
Document
"More than a humanitarian gaze. Jørgen Grinde's photography from the Middle East in the 1950s, University of Bergen Library
Berg, Knarvik og Vik, 2022,
Article
Trafficking in Humans: The Slavery of Our Age
Marie Vlachová, Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes, 1-16, Connections. The quarterly journal (English ed.), 4, 4, 2005-12-01, 1-16,
View online
Article
Menneskerettslige utfordringer i norske sykehjem
Sæther, Marit Lomundal, 37-47, Kritisk juss (Online), 1, 41, 2015-04-08, 37-47,
View online
Book Chapter
I kjønnets grenseland : vestens relative menneskerettighetsbegrep
Endsjø, Dag Øistein, Dag Øistein Endsjø, I kjønnets grenseland : vestens relative menneskerettighetsbegrep, Oslo, Universitetsforlaget og Institutt for menneskerettigheter, S. 81-90, 93-94, 2001, 81-90, 93-94,
Våren 2024:
Book
International human rights
Jack Donnelly (forfatter), New York, Routledge, 2020, isbn:9780367217846,
View online
Book
Universal human rights in theory and practice
Donnelly, Jack, Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University Press, X, 320 s., 2013, isbn:9780801477706; 9780801450952,
View online
Article
"Women Run the Show"?: Gender Violence Reform and the "Stretching" of Human Rights in Rwanda
Hebert, Laura A., Routledge, 23-40, Journal of human rights, 1, 14, 2015-01-02, 23-40,
View online
Newspaper Article
Human Rights Watch: UN - Countries Call Out Rwanda's Rights Record
Washington, D.C, Targeted News Service, Targeted News Service, 2021-02-02,
View online
Book
Africa Yearbook Volume 18 : Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara In 2021.
Albert K. Awedoba, Benedikt Kamski, Cambridge, BRILL, 2022, isbn:9004519572,
Chad. S. 227-235
Other
Regime security in Chad
Technical Report
Chad: The Victims of Hissene Habre Still Awaiting Justice
Human Rights Watch, Policy File, 2005-07-12,
View online
Website
Chad
Amnesty International,
View online
Website
Laureate 2022: Nodjigoto Charbonnel
Rafto,
View online
Website
Hissene Habre: Chad's ex-ruler convicted of crimes against humanity
BBC News, 2013,
View online
Website
Chad to Further Postpone Transition to Democracy
Voa, 2022,
Website
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
United Nations,
View online
Website
Chad: Scores of Protesters Shot Dead, Wounded
Human Rights Watch, 2022,
View online
Document
"More than a humanitarian gaze. Jørgen Grinde's photography from the Middle East in the 1950s, University of Bergen Library
Berg, Knarvik og Vik, 2022,
Article
Japanese Policy toward Democracy and Human Rights in Asia
Arase, David, Berkeley, Calif, University of California Press, 935-952, Asian survey, 10, 33, 1993-10-01, 935-952,
View online
Article
In Quest of Intercivilizational Human Rights: "Universal" vs. "Relative" Human Rights Viewed from an Asian Perspective
Yasuaki, Onuma, The Netherlands, Martinus Nijhoff, 53-88, Asia-Pacific journal on human rights and the law, 1, 1, 2000, 53-88,
View online
Article
Trafficking in Humans: The Slavery of Our Age
Marie Vlachová, Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes, 1-16, Connections. The quarterly journal (English ed.), 4, 4, 2005-12-01, 1-16,
View online
10 ECT against IKF 223 Menneskerettigheter.
10 ECT against IKF215 Menneskerettigheter i interkulturelt perspektiv
On completion of the course, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student:
- has knowledge about the historical and cultural context of United Nations´ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on the universal validity of the declaration
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on key political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts, and can update his/her knowledge on human rights violations and human rights work
- has acquaintance with research on characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- is aware of research on various forms of human rights work and how human rights violations can be sanctioned
Skills
The student:
- can discuss and disseminate knowledge about the cultural background of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the question of the universal validity of the Declaration
- can find, assess, and refer to information and academic literature, and present this to shed light on issues related to political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts.
- can identify and discuss the characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- can apply his/her knowledge of human rights work, human rights bodies and various forms of human rights violations to assess various forms of work strategies to promote human rights
General competence
The student:
- has action competence and preparedness for action related to respect for human rights in Norway and internationally
Book
International human rights
Jack Donnelly (forfatter), New York, Routledge, 2020, isbn:9780367217846,
View online
Book
Menneskerettigheter : en innføring
Gunnar M. Ekeløve-Slydal (1962-) (forfatter/redaktør), Beate Ekeløve-Slydal (1963-) (bidragsyter), Oslo, Humanist forl, 297, 2014, isbn:9788282821063,
Article
"Women Run the Show"?: Gender Violence Reform and the "Stretching" of Human Rights in Rwanda
Hebert, Laura A., Routledge, 23-40, Journal of human rights, 1, 14, 2015-01-02, 23-40,
View online
Newspaper Article
Human Rights Watch: UN - Countries Call Out Rwanda's Rights Record
Washington, D.C, Targeted News Service, Targeted News Service, 2021-02-02,
View online
Article
Rwanda anklages for grove brudd på menneskerettighetene
Bistandsaktuelt,
View online
Article
Monarchical Rule in Swaziland: Power is Absolute but Patronage is (for) Relative(s)
Woods, Dwayne, London, England, SAGE Publications, 497-513, Journal of Asian and African studies (Leiden), 4, 52, 2017-06, 497-513,
View online
Website
Eswatini Events of 2021
Human Rights Watch 2021,
View online
Website
ESWATINI 2021
Amnesty International,
View online
Article
China and the universal human rights standards
Wang, Jiangyu, Syracuse, Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, 135-, Syracuse journal of international law and commerce, 1, 29, 2001-09-22, 135-158,
View online
Article
The Evolution of Chinese Thinking on Human Rights in the Post-Mao Era
Weatherley, R., Taylor & Francis Group, 19-42, The journal of communist studies and transition politics, 2, 17, 2001-06-01, 19-42,
View online
Article
Why Scholars and Activists Increasingly Fear a Uyghur Genocide in Xinjiang
Smith Finley, Joanne, Abingdon, Routledge, 348-370, Journal of genocide research, 3, 23, 2021-07-03, 348-370,
View online
Book Chapter
HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF PROSPERITY
Elisa Nesossi ; Ivan Franceschini, Chapter Author(s): Elisa Nesossi and Ivan Franceschini Book Editor(s): Jane Golley and Linda Jaivin, HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF PROSPERITY, ANU Press, 254-, 2018-04-09, 254-271, isbn:1760462020,
View online
Article
Midlertidig og evig : UNRWA og det palestinske flyktningspørsmålet
Kjersti G. Berg (forfatter), 34-49, Babylon (online), Årg. 18, nr. 1 (2020), 2020, 34-49,
View online
Document
"More than a humanitarian gaze. Jørgen Grinde's photography from the Middle East in the 1950s, University of Bergen Library
Berg, Knarvik og Vik, 2022,
Article
Trafficking in Humans: The Slavery of Our Age
Marie Vlachová, Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes, 1-16, Connections. The quarterly journal (English ed.), 4, 4, 2005-12-01, 1-16,
View online
Article
Menneskerettslige utfordringer i norske sykehjem
Sæther, Marit Lomundal, 37-47, Kritisk juss (Online), 1, 41, 2015-04-08, 37-47,
View online
Book Chapter
I kjønnets grenseland : vestens relative menneskerettighetsbegrep
Endsjø, Dag Øistein, Dag Øistein Endsjø, I kjønnets grenseland : vestens relative menneskerettighetsbegrep, Oslo, Universitetsforlaget og Institutt for menneskerettigheter, S. 81-90, 93-94, 2001, 81-90, 93-94,
10 ECT against IKF 223 Menneskerettigheter.
10 ECT against IKF215 Menneskerettigheter i interkulturelt perspektiv
On completion of the course, the candidate should have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student:
- has knowledge about the historical and cultural context of United Nations´ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on the universal validity of the declaration
- has knowledge about the scientific discussion on key political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts, and can update his/her knowledge on human rights violations and human rights work
- has acquaintance with research on characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- is aware of research on various forms of human rights work and how human rights violations can be sanctioned
Skills
The student:
- can discuss and disseminate knowledge about the cultural background of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the question of the universal validity of the Declaration
- can find, assess, and refer to information and academic literature, and present this to shed light on issues related to political and cultural challenges and human rights violations in different cultural contexts.
- can identify and discuss the characteristics of modern human trafficking and slavery
- can apply his/her knowledge of human rights work, human rights bodies and various forms of human rights violations to assess various forms of work strategies to promote human rights
General competence
The student:
- has action competence and preparedness for action related to respect for human rights in Norway and internationally
(ca. 750 pages):
There might be adjustments until the semester start.
NB. Literature marked with * are provided in an electronical compendium.
*an-Na´im, A. A. A. and Deng, F. M. (eds.) (1990). 'Problems of Universal Cultural Legitimacy for Human Rights , In Human Rights in Africa: cross-cultural perspectives. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, s. 331-367 (36 s.)
*Beitz, C. (2009) The Idea of Human Rights, Oxford, Oxford University Press, kap. 7, s. 161-197. (36 s.)
*Bertone, Andrea M. 2013. "Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation." In Human Rights. Politics and Practice, edited by Michael Goodhart, 255-70. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (15s)
Buergenthal, T, Shelton, D. and Stewart, D. (2010): International Human Rights in a Nutshell, 4th ed. At. Paul, West Publishing. Kap 2, 29-159, kap. 3 160-255, kap. 5 -6, 327-411, og kap. 8 481-499. (327p.)
Cardenas, S. (2010): Human rights in Latin America : A politics of terror and hope. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press.s1- 82. (82 s.)
Freeman, Michael (2017): Human rights. 2nd edition. Cambridge, Polity Press. (221s)
*Habermas, Jürgen (2012). The Concept of Human Dignity and the Realistic Utopia of Human Rights. In: Corradetti, C. (Ed.): Philosophical Dimensions of Human Rights - Some Contemporary Views. London. Springer, s. 63-79. (16 s.)
Mayer, A. E. (2013). Islam and Human Rights. Tradition and Politics. xi-xvii (forord/preface), kap.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,9 appendiks A og B. Boulder: Westview Press. (150 s.) The rest of the book is recommended.
*Shi, T. and Lu, J. (2010) The shadow of Confucianism. In Journal of democracy vol. 21. No 4, October 2010, s. 123-130. (7 s.)
*Talbott, W. J. (2007). Which Rights Should Be Universal? Oxford: Oxford University Press, kap. 3. (9 s.)
*Wang, J. (2001). China and the Universal Human Rights Standards. Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, Vol. 29, Nr. 1. (23 s.)
*Weatherley, R. (2001). The Evolution of Chinese Thinking on Human Rights in the Post-Mao Era. The Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics, Vol. 17, Nr. 2. (24 s.)
*Yasuaki, O (2000). In Quest of Intercivilizational Human Rights: Universal vs. Relative Human Rights Viewed from an Asian Perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Rights and the Law, Vol. 1, Nr. 1. (36 s).
Recommended literature/ Norwegian alternative to International Human Rights in a Nutshell:
Strand, V. B. og K. M. Larsen 2015: Menneskerettigheter i et nøtteskall. Oslo, Gyldendal. (15-107).
Key human rights documents etc.
The UN Charter
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights
The International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The European Human Rights Convention
ILO-convention 169: indigenous people
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
The Norwegian Constitution
The law on promoting human rights’ position in Norwegian Law (The Human Rights Act).
Relevant decisions from the European human rights court, the UN human Rights Commission etc.
10 ECT against IKF 223 Menneskerettigheter.
10 ECT against IKF215 Menneskerettigheter i interkulturelt perspektiv