Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This course will examine the influence of Humanitarianism and Human Rights on the making of the modern world. Far from a new phenomenon, humanitarian crises that affect many parts of the planet today are part of a longer history in which human suffering and the wish to relieve it have often gone hand in hand. Students in this course will learn about the long history of humanitarianism and human rights, from their 'invention' in the 18th century up to the present, and will discuss the different norms, institutions and legal regimes that have shaped them. Examples include the campaigns to abolish slavery; the establishment of the international Red Cross and the Red Crescent movement; the protection of ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East or the Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The historical-based approach will enable students to exercise analytical and critical thinking skills to deepen their understanding of the logics and dynamics of humanitarian crises that still occupy much of international politics today. Moreover, emphasis will be made on the need to critically examine the power hierarchies that have historically shaped the making of modern humanitarianism. Examples of these hierarchies include racial, gender and Western bias, and students will be encouraged to reflect on their nature and the legacy they have imprinted in current understandings of human rights.

Associated skills

The associated skills for this course are outlined in the Memòria of the degree. They include:

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are outlined in the degree's Memòria. They include: R.A.
1.1; 1.2; 1.3.; 1.6; 1.7; 2.1; 2.2.; 2.3; 2.5; 6.3; 8.1; 8.2; 8.3.

Sustainable Development Goals

This course includes the following UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): No poverty; Zero hunger; Good health and well-being; Gender equality; Clean water and sanitation; Affordable, clean energy; Reduced inequalities; Peace, justice and strong institutions.

Prerequisites

B2 English or higher is advised.

Contents

1. Introduction: themes and concepts
2. The origins of human rights and the emergence of humanitarian sentiment
3. Humanitarian interventions in the 19th century
4. International organizations, philanthropy and the politics of aid
5. Gender and Non-Western Humanitarianism
6. Prisoners of war, minorities and refugees during and after the First World War
7. The Second World War and the failure of humanitarian protection
8. Decolonization, human rights and the United Nations
9. Cold War and the Third World: ideologies, relief and development
10. Conclusions: human rights and 'the War against Terror' in the 21st century

Teaching Methods

The course will consist of plenary sessions, in which lectures, oral presentations and discussions will be combined. The first part of the session will consist of a lecture, where students will be provided with the general background related to the weekly topic. The second part of the class will be devoted to student presentations, followed by a discussion of the session’s topic, based on the assigned readings.

Attendance: in view of the classroom that this course has been assigned (40.252), and after consultation with the UPF, we expect this course to be 100% face-to-face learning.

Evaluation

The assessment will be based on the following criteria:

A. Class participation and assignments (15%)

B. Oral presentation (15%)

C. Video presentation and commentary (30%)

D. Research paper (40%)

A. Class participation and assignments (15%)

Students must show familiarity with the assigned readings and show a pro-active and thoughtful attitude during the discussions. Attendance and punctuality will also be taken into account.

B. Oral presentation (15%)

Each student will deliver an oral presentation (10 to 15 minutes) related to the weekly topic. The list of topics can be gleaned from the reading list that will be available at the Aula Global. Topics will be assigned during the first session.

While most of the topics deal with individuals, concepts and organizations, the oral presentation should address the course’s larger questions and debates. In other words, it should frame the topic so as to lay the ground for the ensuing discussion. Some of the questions that you may want to address are:

- What is the article about? What is its central argument?

- How does the article or chapter link to larger debates and ideas on humanitarianism and human rights?

- What points in common does the text have with the other readings assigned for the week? In what points do they differ? How do they relate to each other?

- What argument/point, if any, did you find particularly interesting?

B. Video presentation and commentary (30%)

This activity is divided in two parts: 1) video presentation;  2) Video commentary

1) Video presentation: each student will turn in an oral presentation (5-10 minutes) on video uploaded to Aula Global. The presenter will discuss a relevant individual, institution or event that is related to the history of humanitarianism and human rights. The presentation must explain how the topic relates, whether in congruence or in tension, with one of the courses' 10 topics. Students are encouraged to use (but it is not compulsory) original sources, such as documents, images, pictures, maps, graphs, etc. The video upload must be complete by the 6th week of the course.

2) Video commentary: once all the students have uploaded their videos to Aula Global, the professor will group them by overarching topic (e.g. “Humanitarian interventions in the 19th century”). Each student will have to write a commentary (400-500 words) on the other videos in their group. In addition to the student's personal assessment, the commentary ought to answer the same questions as oral presentations (see above). The deadline for the commentary is the 8th week of the course.

C. Research paper (40%)

Each student will write a research paper of at least 3,000 words (not including footnotes and bibliography in the word count). The research paper may be a deeper extension of the video presentation or take up a different topic as long as the topic's research and exposition aligns with the course's overarching aims.

* Part 1 (deadline: 5th week): students will send a brief 1-page outline of their research idea, containing:

–  Proposed title

–  Research questions – how does your chosen topic relate to the course' overarching aims and what insights does it provide (in other words, why is it worth studying?).

–  Hypothesis – your argument and how you plan to support it.

–  Original sources – students are encouraged to use (but it is not compulsory) original sources, such as photographs, documents or other primary sources. Finding this material will take some time but will provide useful material for your arguments (it will be worthwhile!).

–  Bibliography (must include at least 6 academic works, e.g. articles, chapters or books) and follow the citation style that you plan to use.

The professor will provide feedback on the outline. A forum will be held to resolve common doubts and questions (make your questions well advanced before the deadline).

* Part 2: paper submission. Deadline: 15 December 2021. Failure to submit the paper on time will result in a 0 grade for the assignment.

8. SUMMARY OF THE CALENDAR ACTIVITIES & SUBMISSION DATES

The course is spread over 10 weeks of lectures (two plenary sessions per week) plus 2 weeks corresponding to the exam period.

- Oral presentation (to be assigned during the first session).

- Outline of the Research paper – 5^th week.

- Video presentation – 6^th week

- Video commentary – 8^th week

- Submission of the Research paper. Deadline: 15 December 2021.

Punctuality in submitting the activities is of the utmost importance. It will enable you to make steady progress towards the course objectives. Furthermore, punctuality will positively affect your final grade, especially if the average of your graded projects leaves you on the borderline between two grades.

Delays in meeting the deadlines, however, very often lead to stress that affects the quality of the work, in addition to the rush of the last-minute work overload. Moreover, delays will affect your grading negatively and might make a difference in the final mark (for instance between a pass and a fail).

Conclusion: stick to the calendar and you will progress “slowly but surely”!

9. Grade recovery

– Oral presentations can only be retrieved under exceptional (and duly justified) impediments.

– Students who fail to submit the Video (presentation and commentary) on time can recover it afterwards, but the maximum grade they can obtain under such circumstances is 5 (out of 10).

– Should you fail the research paper, you can revise and resubmit it, but this time the research paper must be 5,000 words long (instead of the original 3,000 words), footnotes and bibliography excluded. The maximum mark that can be obtained for the revised and resubmitted research is 5 (out of 10).

– The deadline for the revised version of the research paper will be set by the Humanities Department.

10. Plagiarism warning

Plagiarism is dishonest behaviour that consists of presenting someone else' s work as your own. If you make use of an argument or quote from someone else without adequately referencing it, it may look as if you are trying to present it as your own work. Please check the UPF guiding lines to avoid this from happening.

To avoid plagiarism, all research papers must be submitted via Turnitin. Sanction for plagiarism (deliberate or unintentionally) will result in a 0 score for the assignment and will be reported to the director of the Global Studies' programme.

11. Contact

Students are encouraged to make use of the Aula Global platform to share their doubts and questions (other colleagues might have had the same questions before you do!). Please make sure you have read the syllabus and checked the Aula Global updates – if, after this, you still have unsolved questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Bibliography and information resources

• Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights. A History, New York: Norton, 2008.
• Michael Barnett, Empire of Humanity. A History of Humanitarianism, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011.
• Richard Ashby Wilson and Richard Brown (eds.), Humanitarianism and Suffering. The Mobilization of Empathy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Silvia Salvatici, A History of humanitarianism, 1755-1989. In the name of the others. Manchestr: Manchester University Press, 2019.

Further reading

• Johannes Paulmann (ed.), Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid in the Twentieth Century, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Alexis Heraclides and Ada Dialla (eds.), Humanitarian intervention in the long nineteenth century. Setting the precedent. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2015.
• Neville Wylie, Melanie Oppenheimer and James Crossland (eds.), The Red Cross Movement. Myths, practices and turning points. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2020.
• Nobert Götz, Georgina Brewis, Steffen Werther, Humanitarianism in the Modern World. The Moral Economy of Famine Relief. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020.
• Heide Fehrenbach and Davide Rodogno, Humanitarian photography: a history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
• Richard Ashby Wilson and Richard Brown (eds.), Humanitarianism and Suffering. The
  Mobilization of Empathy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Lauren, Paul Gordon. The Evolution of International Human Rights. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
• Michael Barnett and Thomas G. Weiss, Humanitarianism in Question: Politics, Power, Ethics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008.

Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This course will examine the influence of Humanitarianism and Human Rights on the making of the modern world. Far from a new phenomenon, humanitarian crises that affect many parts of the planet today are part of a longer history in which human suffering and the wish to relieve it have often gone hand in hand. Students in this course will learn about the long history of humanitarianism and human rights, from their 'invention' in the 18th century up to the present, and will discuss the different norms, institutions and legal regimes that have shaped them. Examples include the campaigns to abolish slavery; the establishment of the international Red Cross and the Red Crescent movement; the protection of ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East or the Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The historical-based approach will enable students to exercise analytical and critical thinking skills to deepen their understanding of the logics and dynamics of humanitarian crises that still occupy much of international politics today. Moreover, emphasis will be made on the need to critically examine the power hierarchies that have historically shaped the making of modern humanitarianism. Examples of these hierarchies include racial, gender and Western bias, and students will be encouraged to reflect on their nature and the legacy they have imprinted in current understandings of human rights.

Associated skills

The associated skills for this course are outlined in the Memòria of the degree. They include:

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are outlined in the degree's Memòria. They include: R.A.
1.1; 1.2; 1.3.; 1.6; 1.7; 2.1; 2.2.; 2.3; 2.5; 6.3; 8.1; 8.2; 8.3.

Sustainable Development Goals

This course includes the following UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): No poverty; Zero hunger; Good health and well-being; Gender equality; Clean water and sanitation; Affordable, clean energy; Reduced inequalities; Peace, justice and strong institutions.

Prerequisites

B2 English or higher is advised.

Contents

1. Introduction: themes and concepts
2. The origins of human rights and the emergence of humanitarian sentiment
3. Humanitarian interventions in the 19th century
4. International organizations, philanthropy and the politics of aid
5. Gender and Non-Western Humanitarianism
6. Prisoners of war, minorities and refugees during and after the First World War
7. The Second World War and the failure of humanitarian protection
8. Decolonization, human rights and the United Nations
9. Cold War and the Third World: ideologies, relief and development
10. Conclusions: human rights and 'the War against Terror' in the 21st century

Teaching Methods

The course will consist of plenary sessions, in which lectures, oral presentations and discussions will be combined. The first part of the session will consist of a lecture, where students will be provided with the general background related to the weekly topic. The second part of the class will be devoted to student presentations, followed by a discussion of the session’s topic, based on the assigned readings.

Attendance: in view of the classroom that this course has been assigned (40.252), and after consultation with the UPF, we expect this course to be 100% face-to-face learning.

Evaluation

The assessment will be based on the following criteria:

A. Class participation and assignments (15%)

B. Oral presentation (15%)

C. Video presentation and commentary (30%)

D. Research paper (40%)

A. Class participation and assignments (15%)

Students must show familiarity with the assigned readings and show a pro-active and thoughtful attitude during the discussions. Attendance and punctuality will also be taken into account.

B. Oral presentation (15%)

Each student will deliver an oral presentation (10 to 15 minutes) related to the weekly topic. The list of topics can be gleaned from the reading list that will be available at the Aula Global. Topics will be assigned during the first session.

While most of the topics deal with individuals, concepts and organizations, the oral presentation should address the course’s larger questions and debates. In other words, it should frame the topic so as to lay the ground for the ensuing discussion. Some of the questions that you may want to address are:

- What is the article about? What is its central argument?

- How does the article or chapter link to larger debates and ideas on humanitarianism and human rights?

- What points in common does the text have with the other readings assigned for the week? In what points do they differ? How do they relate to each other?

- What argument/point, if any, did you find particularly interesting?

B. Video presentation and commentary (30%)

This activity is divided in two parts: 1) video presentation;  2) Video commentary

1) Video presentation: each student will turn in an oral presentation (5-10 minutes) on video uploaded to Aula Global. The presenter will discuss a relevant individual, institution or event that is related to the history of humanitarianism and human rights. The presentation must explain how the topic relates, whether in congruence or in tension, with one of the courses' 10 topics. Students are encouraged to use (but it is not compulsory) original sources, such as documents, images, pictures, maps, graphs, etc. The video upload must be complete by the 6th week of the course.

2) Video commentary: once all the students have uploaded their videos to Aula Global, the professor will group them by overarching topic (e.g. “Humanitarian interventions in the 19th century”). Each student will have to write a commentary (400-500 words) on the other videos in their group. In addition to the student's personal assessment, the commentary ought to answer the same questions as oral presentations (see above). The deadline for the commentary is the 8th week of the course.

C. Research paper (40%)

Each student will write a research paper of at least 3,000 words (not including footnotes and bibliography in the word count). The research paper may be a deeper extension of the video presentation or take up a different topic as long as the topic's research and exposition aligns with the course's overarching aims.

* Part 1 (deadline: 5th week): students will send a brief 1-page outline of their research idea, containing:

–  Proposed title

–  Research questions – how does your chosen topic relate to the course' overarching aims and what insights does it provide (in other words, why is it worth studying?).

–  Hypothesis – your argument and how you plan to support it.

–  Original sources – students are encouraged to use (but it is not compulsory) original sources, such as photographs, documents or other primary sources. Finding this material will take some time but will provide useful material for your arguments (it will be worthwhile!).

–  Bibliography (must include at least 6 academic works, e.g. articles, chapters or books) and follow the citation style that you plan to use.

The professor will provide feedback on the outline. A forum will be held to resolve common doubts and questions (make your questions well advanced before the deadline).

* Part 2: paper submission. Deadline: 15 December 2021. Failure to submit the paper on time will result in a 0 grade for the assignment.

8. SUMMARY OF THE CALENDAR ACTIVITIES & SUBMISSION DATES

The course is spread over 10 weeks of lectures (two plenary sessions per week) plus 2 weeks corresponding to the exam period.

- Oral presentation (to be assigned during the first session).

- Outline of the Research paper – 5^th week.

- Video presentation – 6^th week

- Video commentary – 8^th week

- Submission of the Research paper. Deadline: 15 December 2021.

Punctuality in submitting the activities is of the utmost importance. It will enable you to make steady progress towards the course objectives. Furthermore, punctuality will positively affect your final grade, especially if the average of your graded projects leaves you on the borderline between two grades.

Delays in meeting the deadlines, however, very often lead to stress that affects the quality of the work, in addition to the rush of the last-minute work overload. Moreover, delays will affect your grading negatively and might make a difference in the final mark (for instance between a pass and a fail).

Conclusion: stick to the calendar and you will progress “slowly but surely”!

9. Grade recovery

– Oral presentations can only be retrieved under exceptional (and duly justified) impediments.

– Students who fail to submit the Video (presentation and commentary) on time can recover it afterwards, but the maximum grade they can obtain under such circumstances is 5 (out of 10).

– Should you fail the research paper, you can revise and resubmit it, but this time the research paper must be 5,000 words long (instead of the original 3,000 words), footnotes and bibliography excluded. The maximum mark that can be obtained for the revised and resubmitted research is 5 (out of 10).

– The deadline for the revised version of the research paper will be set by the Humanities Department.

10. Plagiarism warning

Plagiarism is dishonest behaviour that consists of presenting someone else' s work as your own. If you make use of an argument or quote from someone else without adequately referencing it, it may look as if you are trying to present it as your own work. Please check the UPF guiding lines to avoid this from happening.

To avoid plagiarism, all research papers must be submitted via Turnitin. Sanction for plagiarism (deliberate or unintentionally) will result in a 0 score for the assignment and will be reported to the director of the Global Studies' programme.

11. Contact

Students are encouraged to make use of the Aula Global platform to share their doubts and questions (other colleagues might have had the same questions before you do!). Please make sure you have read the syllabus and checked the Aula Global updates – if, after this, you still have unsolved questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Bibliography and information resources

• Lynn Hunt, Inventing Human Rights. A History, New York: Norton, 2008.
• Michael Barnett, Empire of Humanity. A History of Humanitarianism, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2011.
• Richard Ashby Wilson and Richard Brown (eds.), Humanitarianism and Suffering. The Mobilization of Empathy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Silvia Salvatici, A History of humanitarianism, 1755-1989. In the name of the others. Manchestr: Manchester University Press, 2019.

Further reading

• Johannes Paulmann (ed.), Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid in the Twentieth Century, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Alexis Heraclides and Ada Dialla (eds.), Humanitarian intervention in the long nineteenth century. Setting the precedent. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2015.
• Neville Wylie, Melanie Oppenheimer and James Crossland (eds.), The Red Cross Movement. Myths, practices and turning points. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2020.
• Nobert Götz, Georgina Brewis, Steffen Werther, Humanitarianism in the Modern World. The Moral Economy of Famine Relief. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020.
• Heide Fehrenbach and Davide Rodogno, Humanitarian photography: a history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
• Richard Ashby Wilson and Richard Brown (eds.), Humanitarianism and Suffering. The
  Mobilization of Empathy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
• Lauren, Paul Gordon. The Evolution of International Human Rights. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
• Michael Barnett and Thomas G. Weiss, Humanitarianism in Question: Politics, Power, Ethics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008.