COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST: POLI 468 (HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA)

DEPAETMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

Second Semester, 2013/2014 Academic Year

COURSE CODE: POLI 468                      COURSE TITLE: HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA

INSTRUCTOR: Dr Kumi Ansah-Koi    Email: kakoi@ug.edu.gh         Phone: 024 501 3066

Office: Room 18; Political Science Department, Kweku Folson Block

Office hours: By Appointment

Class: Jones Quartey Building, Room 19; @ 15:30 – 17:20 on Thursdays

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on Human Rights in Africa. Students are introduced to pertinent issues bearing on the nature, contemporary significance, ramification and challenges of the notion of Human Rights particularly as regards to the African continent.  Students are as well introduce to basic Human rights Instruments and also to various theories of Human Rights and their practical import in Africa.

With regards to methodology, it must be stated that Case/Thematic Studies and Focal Analysis constitute significant features of the course. In addition, the web and its resources are much integrated into the course. Visuals from various web sources are particularly helpful teaching aids in this course.

This will be a very interactive course.  Timely and regular attendance at, and full involvement in, tutorials would be insisted on.

Course Schedule

Weeks 1 and 2: The Notion of Human Rights

Theories, Nature, Evolution, Trends, Legal  Obligations, International Status, Human Rights in Contemporary Socio-Political Thought, and Human Rights obligation  of Contemporary States/societies.

We should as well focus on Basic Human Rights Instruments and Pbligations; Human Rights Promotion and Protection,; and also identify a framework for zeroing in on Human Rights Violation.

Weeks 3 and 4: Our African Matrix

The notion of Africa; Basic Socio-Economic/Political features of Africa; Commonalities and iversities

Human Rights in Africa: Historical Over-View

a.       Pre-colonial/Traditional Africa and Human Rights

b.      Colonial Africa and Human Rights

c.       Post-colonial Africa and Human Rights

d.      Human Rights in Africa since the End of the Cold War

African Basic instruments on Human Rights; African basic institutions and arrangements pertaining to Human Rights; and African Contribution to the evolutiuon of Human Rights.

Weeks 5,6 and 7: A survey of Human Rights in Contemporary Africa.

State of Human Rights in Contemporary Africa

Human Rights Violations and shortfalls in Africa

Detailed Case/Thematic/Focal Studies drawn Africa would be extrapolated for analyses. The selection would, among others, cover such themes as

a)      FGM

b)      Gender and Women/Child Rights

c)       Minority Rights, and

d)      Reproductive Rights

e)      Sexual Rights

We would as well be concerned with human rights dimension of the civil wars in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa, as well human rights dimensions of the electoral /political mess in such countries as Libya, Mali, Congo, Zimbabwe and Somalia.

Weeks 8, 9, 10 & 11: Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (in Africa)

Introduction (why Promotion and Protection; and what the notions entail)

Over-View

Mechanisms for the promotion and Protection and how they so far play out. We wou;d be specifically concerned with the following:

1)      Constitutions and Constitutionalism

2)      Law and Legality/The Rule of Law

3)      The Courts of Law/Justice; The Judiciary

4)      The Mass Media

5)      State-Owned/Operated Human Rights Institutions (CHRAJ would be our case in point)

6)      NGOs/Civil Society Organizations

7)      Public Policies/Programmes/Initiatives

8)      International Organizations/Law/Treaties/Conversations

a)      The UN System

b)      Regional institutions (Case in point: OAU/AU)

c)       Sub-regional institutions (case in point:ECOWAS)

9)      ICT

Week 12: Review/Revision

Basic Readings:

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’m and Francis M Deng (editors), Human Rights in Africa. Cross-Cultutral Perspectives, The Brookings Institutions, Washington, DC, 1990

Human Rights Clauses of the Charter of the United Nations (1945)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

International Convenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (1966)

International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights (with the Optional Protocols) (1966)

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1966)

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Discrimination Against Women (1979)

Declaration on the Right to Development (1986)

The 1992 Ghana Constitution

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action on Human Rights (1993)

The American Declaration of Independence

The Constitution of the USA

The African Peer Review Mechanism: Country Report on Ghana

Report of Ghana’s Reconciliation Commission

US State of Department: Human Rights Country Report on Ghana

Ghana Human Development Report

UN Human Rights Commission: Country Reports on Ghana

Annual Report: CHRAJ

                                    : Ghana Police Service

                                    : Ghana Prisons Service

Conventions on the Rights of the Child (1989)

Internation Convention on the Protection of the Rights All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990)

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998)

Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)

African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (1981)

Protocol on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and People’s Rights (1998)

African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)

The Constitutive Act of the African Union

Report of Ghana’s Constitutional Review Commission

Useful Web Links

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva: www.ohchr.org

ILO, Geneva: www.ilo.org

ICJ, The Hague: www.icj-cij.org

UN Treaty Database: untreaty.un.org

Official Documents of the UN: documents.un.org

Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org

Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST: POLI 626 (THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS)

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

University of Ghana

                   POLI 626: THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

                                  COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST

                                          SECOND SEMESTER 2013/2014

                                       

Lecturer: Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur          Contact: (boafoarthur@ug.edu.gh)

Time: Thursdays 2pm– 4pm                                     Venue: Lecturer’s Office

                                                                                      (Top of Departmental Library)

Course Description

In recent years, the field of international relations has undergone phenomenal and dynamic changes. This course is intended, therefore, to provide postgraduates with a guide to some of the leading theoretical perspectives and aspects of debates over their practical applicability in the field. There is a high level of objective selectivity in the selected theories for this course. This course does not sacrifice the classical theories that continue to give the field its heartbeat. Sufficient space is given to emerging theories that demonstrate that the field of International Relations, just like any dynamic field in the social sciences, is theoretically abreast with the challenges of change in the global system.

Course Organization: Students are reminded that postgraduate courses are seminar biased. They are therefore expected to read the assigned topics before coming to class. Apart from the combination of formal lectures and deep interactive approach that underpins the Lecturer’s methodological approach; each student will make, at least, two presentations in class on topics assigned by the Lecturer. The division of the outline into Parts 1 &2 is and the presentations will be based on Part 1 of the outline within four weeks of discussions and the second based on Part two of the outline.

Grading: The presentations in class shall be graded and will constitute thirty (30) percent of the final grading and serve equally as the interim or continuous assessment. The main examination which will be of two and half hours duration will constitute the remaining seventy (70) percent of the final marks.

Course Outline and Reading List

PART 1

Origins, Significance and Debates on theory in International Relations

Kaufman, Joyce P. (2013), Introduction to International Relations: Theory and Practice, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. United Kingdom,( Chapter 2: Theoretical Overview).

Jackson Thaddeus, P. (2011), The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations: Philosophy of Science and its Implications for the study of World Politics, Routledge, London & New York, Chapter 1: Playing with Fire, (pp, 1-23).

Chernoff, Fred (2005), The Power of International Theory: Reforging the link to foreign policy-making through scientific enquiry, Routledge, London & New York, Chapter 1: “Policy Making, Prediction and the theory of International Behaviour” (pp, 2-32) & Chapter 2: “Social science, naturalism and scientific realism”, Routledge, London & New York, (pp. 33-62).

Burchill Scott, Andrew Linklater et al (2005), Theories of International Relations, 3^rd Ed., Palgrave Macmillan, New York, Chapter 1: “Introduction” (pp.1-28).

Brown Chris & Kirsten Ainley (2009), Understanding International Relations, 4^th Ed., Palgrave Macmillan, UK, Chapter 2: ‘The Development of International Relations Theory in the Twentieth Century”(pp.18-39).

PART 2.

SELECTED THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

Eclectic Theorizing and International Relations

Katzenstein Peter & Rudra Sil (2008), “Eclectic Theorizing in the Study and Practice of International Relations”, in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press. (Chapter 6: pp, 109-130).

Realism: Origins and Impact in International Relations

Donnelly, Jack (2005), “Realism” in Burchill Scott, Andrew Linklater et al (2005), Theories of International Relations, 3^rd Ed., Palgrave Macmillan, New York, (Chapter 2: pp. 30-53).

Jackson, Thaddeus, P. (2011),”Critical Realism” in Jackson Thaddeus, P. The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations: Philosophy of Science and its Implications for the study of World Politics, Routledge, London & New York, (Chapter 3: pp, 72-111).

Wohlforth, William C. (2010) “Realism” in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 7: pp, 131-149).

Mearsheimer, John J. (2013), “Structural Realism” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 4: pp, 77-93).

 Liberalism, Neoliberalism and Neoliberal Institutionalism

Bruce Russett (2010), “Liberalism” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 5: pp, 94-113).

Sterling-Folker, J. (2010) “Neoliberalism” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 6: pp, 114-131).

Stein, Arthur A. (2010), “Neoliberal Institutionalism” in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 11: pp, 201-221).

Richardson James, L. (2010), “The Ethics of Neoliberal Institutionalism” in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press (Chapter 12: pp, 222-233).

The English School

Dunne Tim (2013), “The English School” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press. (Chapter 7: pp.132-152).

Linklater Andrew, (2005), “The English School’ in Burchill Scott, Andrew Linklater et al (2005), Theories of International Relations, 3^rd Ed., Palgrave Macmillan, New York, (Chapter 4, pp. 84-109).

Globalization and the Debate over Global Inequality.

(Check personal library for more readings)

Hay Colin, (2013), “International Relations Theory and Globalization” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 15: pp, 287-306).

Collier, Paul (2007), The Bottom Billion, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 6: “On Missing the Boat: The Marginalization of the Bottom Billion in World Economy” (pp. 80-96).

Wolf, M.  (2004) Why Globalization Works, New Haven: Yale University Press (Chp. 2, “What Liberal Globalization Means”, pp. 13 – 22; Chp.7, “Globalization in the Long Run”, (pp. 96 – 105).   

Stiglitz, J. E.  (2002)  Globalization and its Discontents, New York: W.W. Norton and Company (Chp. 9, The Way Ahead, pp. 214 – 252).

Feminism and International Relations

True, Jacqui, (2013), “Feminism” Burchill Scott, Andrew Linklater et al (2005), Theories of International Relations, 3^rd Ed., Palgrave Macmillan, New York (Chapter 10, pp.213-234).

True, Jacqui, (2010), “The Ethics of Feminism” in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press (Chapter 24, pp, 408-421).

Tickner Ann J. & Laura Sjoberg (2013), “Feminism” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 11: pp, 205-222).

Marxism

Max Rupert (2013), “ Marxism” in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki & Steve Smith (ed.) 3^rd Ed., International Relations Theory: Discipline and Diversity, Oxford, Oxford University Press, (Chapter 8: pp, 205-222).

Teschke, Benno (2010), “Marxism” in in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press (Chapter 9: pp, 163-187).

Rennger Nicholas, (2010) “The Ethics of Marxism” in Reus-Smit, C. & Duncan Snidal, ed. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Oxford, Oxford University Press (Chapter 10, pp, 188-200).