COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST - POLI 347:INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

University of Ghana

POLI 347: INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST: FIRST SEMESTER OF 2016/17 SESSION

INSTRUCTOR: Kumi Ansah-Koi    Lecture Sessions: Legon Campus: Mondays: 1730-1920 hours  at JQB 09

            Accra City Campus: Fridays: 0010-0012 hours at  Room 2, Ground Floor, Main Block.

E-mail Contact: kakoi@ug.edu.gh                      kktak55@gmail.com     

Course Overview and Objectives

This Course is a sequel to the Introduction to International Politics course done at Level 200. It particularly focuses on the international scene and international conflicts, on the possible resolution of those conflicts, and on human rights as an issue in international relations. The Course aims at offering students a deeper understanding of international relations; and a better appreciation of the complexities and dynamics relating particularly to human rights and conflicts in international relations.

Students should be regular and punctual in their class attendance. Classes would be interactive. Tutorial classes are compulsory in the Political Science department; and are especially relevant and helpful in this Course. Students would be required to keep abreast with current developments on the international scene. The readings listed here are basic and introductory. More would be highlighted in class. Much of the required readings for the Course are available on the internet; accessibility should therefore not be a problem.  Enjoy the Course.

Schedule of Topics

1. The International Setting and its Actors:

1. Origins and Nature/Features of the international setting
2. Identification of the Actors in International Relations
3. Distinction between the International /Foreign and the Internal/Domestic; and also between the Sub-National, National, and the Trans-National.  The increasingly blurred nature of that distinction.
   
   

1. International Conflicts: What they are, Nature, Types/Manifestation, and Case Studies. Basic Concepts in Peace/Conflict Studies: Incompatibility, Parties, Issues, Conflict Behaviour, Conflict Environment, Conflict Dynamics, Hostility, Antagonism, etc. 
   
   
2. The UN System and International Conflicts.
   
   
   
   
3. Conflict Resolution in International Relations.

1. Comparative Study of various mechanisms for Conflict Resolution. We would focus, for example, on such mechanisms as Diplomacy/Negotiations/Mediation, Resort to Force of Arms or Violence, Arbitration, International Law, Judicial Bodies like the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, Arbitration, and the like.
2. Distinction between Conflict Prevention/Aversion, Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution, and Post-Conflict Peace-Building/Making. We would as well focus on such incidental issues as Peace Support Operations, DDRR, Transitional Justice, and the like.
   
   

1. Regional/Sub-Regional Organizations and International Conflicts/Human Rights: Case Studies of the African Union, ECOWAS, and the European Union
   
   
2. Human Rights in the International Context (since World War Two).

1. World War Two and emergence of the notion of human rights in international relations
2. Human rights: What they are
3. State Obligations regarding Human Rights
4. Human Rights in contemporary international relations
5. Emergence of the notion of Crimes against Humanity; and the aftermath.
   
   

1. The International Bill of Human Rights
   
   
2. International Humanitarian Law
   
   
3. The Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals
   
   
   
   
4. Course Review/Conclusions  

Basic Readings/Documents/Treaties:

Sandy Ghandhi, Blackstone’s Statutes International Human Rights Documents, 6^th edition, Oxford University Press, 2008

Erskine Childers with Brian Urquhart, Renewing the United Nations System, Uppsala, Sweden,

Quentin Gausset, Michael A. Whyte, and Torden Birch-Thomsen (eds), Beyond Territory and Scarcity. Exploring Conflicts Over Natural Resource Management, Stockholm, 2005

Charter of the United Nations

Statute of the International Court of Justice

International Bill of Human Rights:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Optional Protocol 1 to the ICCPR

Optional Protocol 11 to the ICCPR

Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

Convention Against Torture

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

International Humanitarian Law

Geneva Convention 1: Wounded and Sick

Geneva Convention 11: Armed Forces at Sea

Geneva Convention 111: Prisoners of War

Geneva Convention IV: Civilians

Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions: International Conflicts

Protocol 11 to the Geneva Conventions: Internal Conflicts

African Charter on Human Rights and People’s Rights

Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe

Constitutive Act of the African Union

Lewis Coser, The Functions of Social Conflict, New York: Free Press, 1956

Deng and Zartman (eds.), Conflict Resolution in Africa, Washington DC: The Brookings Institution.

Sage Handbook of Conflict Resolution, London: Sage Publications

C A Crocker, F O Hampson,  & P Aall (eds.), Grasping the Nettle: Analysing Cases of Intractable Conflict, Washington DC: USIP Press..

End of Semester examination will consist of six essay questions covering the entire course, out of which students would be required to answer only three.

An assignment, to be given in class mid-way through the course, would constitute the mandatory 30% Interim Assessment grade.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS FOR POLI 457: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Department of Political Science, University of Ghana                                                                                      Instructor:  Bossman E. Asare (Office of HOD) bossasare@gmail.com/ beasare@ug.edu.gh

	Course Title : Human Resource Development and Management
	Course Code : POLI 457
	Purpose and Objectives Human resource development and management  involve the long-established public sector functions of selection, recruitment, evaluation, promotion, salaries and benefits, disciplinary actions (including dismissals), as well as policies designed to enhance the productivity of the workforce. It entails programs, such as employee training and educational assistance, seminars on best practices in the workplace, coaching, and organizational development. Focusing on the public sector, the course examines human resources issues against the backdrop of internationally recognized benchmarks. It traces the evolution of the human resources function in an effort to show how it has become prominent in both public and private sector management.  The course also draws insights from the business sector and elsewhere (rich countries) to explicate what ought to be in the public sector in Ghana.                                                                                                                                                        By the end of the class, students should be able to know (a) the role human resource managers play in public organizations; (b) that the ultimate goal of human resource management and development is the development of a superior workforce that will accomplish the goals of the organization; (c) the relevance of technology in today’s HR management; (d) the role of teams in organizations; (e) the problems inherent in human resources practices in Ghana’s public sector; (f) the relevance of a diverse workforce on organizational competitiveness; (g) the various skills and qualities essential in public sector management; (h) the importance of safety and stress at the workplace, and etc. The assigned readings are compulsory for all students, as are class participation and attendance. Essentially, the course employs the participant-centered and active learning approaches to teaching.  This should suggest the use of learning cases in the class. This course is designed for serious students who want to make impact in the class as well as in the world. In view of this, I expect all of you to be diligent and conduct yourselves as students who are ready to learn and also share their knowledge and experiences with others. Required Text                                                                                                                                                                                     Angelo S. DeNisi and Ricky W. Griffin (2008), Human Resource Management (3rd Edition), Houghton Mifflin Company                                                                                                                                                             Recommended Texts                                                                                                                                                                              John Schermerhorn, James Hunt, and Richard Osborn (2005), Organizational Behavior (9th Edition), Wiley. Robert B. Denhardt and Janet V. Denhardt (2009), Public Administration: An Action Orientation (6th Edition), Thomson Wadsworth.                                                                                                                                                     Richard L. Daft (2008), The Leadership Experience (fourth edition), Thomson Southwestern                                                  David Whetten and Kim Cameron (2005), Developing Management Skills (Sixth Edition) Pearson Prentice Hall                                                                                                                                                                                       Robert Kreitner and Angelo Kinicki (1998), Organizational Behavior (fourth Edition), Irwin-McGraw-Hill Exams Final exams will consist of a combination of fill in the blanks, short essays, and long essay questions. The final is cumulative, with questions ranging from the first day to the last day of class. The Interim Assessment (20%) will involve fill-in-the-blanks and short essay questions. The IA will focus on certain areas. The date for the IA will be announced in class. Term Reflective Paper (10%) Each student should respond to the question below in 1000-1200 words long, 12-point font, and double-spacing: To what extent is a diverse workforce a prerequisite for the competitiveness of organizations? The paper (10%) is due on the fifth week at class time. Civility Civility in the classroom is expected of all students. Students who disrupt class to the extent that other’s educational opportunities are diminished may be asked to leave the classroom. Cell phones must be turned off at all times in the classroom. Communicating with your Instructor  Feel free to stop by and discuss academic matters or concerns with me in the office. All emails sent to me should include POLI 457 in the subject line. Class Attendance and Participation Attendance will be monitored every class session, and students are expected to regularly and relevantly contribute to class discussions by raising questions and making salient comments. For the purpose of class participation, which is compulsory, students are encouraged to talk about their experiences at their places of Attachments and Internships and what they have heard/seen relating to human resource management. This will be an opportunity for students to make oral contributions, in addition to the regular lectures and discussions. Importantly, be aware that students who attend class regularly tend to perform substantially better than students who skip regularly. Learning Disability Students Any student with an officially recognized disability should make fitting arrangements with the university, not the instructor. Plagiarism and Cheating Plagiarism, which is representing somebody’s work as your own, as well as cheating in all forms, must be avoided. The consequences of these behaviors are not worth mentioning in this class.
Week No.	Date	Lecture Course	Tutorials	Venue	Assessment/Readings
1	23rd/ 25th  August	Introduction to course-expectations, nature of exams and learning strategies	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23
2	30th August Sept 1st	the nature of human resource management and Outsourcing in HR management	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 1, Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 8
3	6th  8th September	Information for making human resource decisions	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 5, Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 8
4	13th 15th September	Recruiting and selection/staffing	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 7, Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 8, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 4, Daft chapter 2
5	20th 22nd September	Recruiting and selection/staffing	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 7, Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 8, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 4, Daft chapter 2
6	27th 29th September	Performance enhancement	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 14
7	4th 6th October	Managing the diverse workforce	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 8, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 3, Kreitner and  Kinicki 2, Daft Chapter 11
8	11th 13th October	Safety, health, well-being, and security	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 12, Whetten and Cameron chapter 2
9	18th 20th October	Teams/Groups in Organizations	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	Daft chapter 10, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 9, Kreitner and  Kinicki 10
10	25th 27th October	Performance appraisal and career management	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	DeNisi and Griffin chapter 10
11	November 1st 3rd	Leadership and management skills in public organizations	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 9, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 4, Daft chapter 2
12	November 8th  10th	Leadership and management skills in public organizations	One hour	Lecture:  JQB 23	Denhardt and Denhardt chapter 9, Schermerhorn et. al chapter 4, Daft chapter 2
13	November 15th 17th	Managing Conflicts in Organizations /Revision	Revision	Lecture:  JQB 23	Whetten and Cameron chapter 7
14 - 16	Final Exam (70%)