Course Offerings

Undergraduate

Fall 2024 Course Offerings: Major and Minor

Institutions and Laws

HRTS 2800: Human Rights in the United States
MW 4:40-5:55pm
Asmita Aasavari

Sociological analyses of human rights issues in the United States, including economic, racial, and gender justice; prisoners' rights and capital punishment; the role of the United States in international human rights agreements and treaties; and struggles on behalf of human rights. Formerly offered as HRTS/SOCI 3831.

HRTS 3212: Comparative Perspectives on Human Rights
TTH 2:00-3:15pm
Shareen Hartel

Cultural difference and human rights in areas if legal equality, women’s rights, political violence, criminal justice, religious pluralism, global security, and race relations.

HRTS 3230: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Hate Speech
T 2:00-4:30pm
Richard Wilson

Draws on current social science research to understand the effects of false information and hate speech on our politics and culture and to evaluate various private and public initiatives to regulate speech. CA 2.

HRTS 3428: The Politics of Torture
TTH 12:30-1:45pm
David L. Richards

Examination of the usage of torture by state and non-state actors. Questions include, "Why is torture perpetrated?" "What domestic and international legal frameworks and issues related to the use of torture?" "How effective are existing legal prohibitions and remedies?" "Who tortures?" and "How does torture affect transitional justice?"

History, Philosophy, & Theory

HRTS 3201: The History of Human Rights
TTH 3:30-4:45pm
Sara Silverstein

Case studies in the emergence and evolution of human rights as experience and  concept.

HRTS 3631W: Literature, Culture, and Humanitarianism
MW 10:10-11:00am Hybrid
Eleni Coundouriotis

Relationships between literature and culture and humanitarian movements, from the eighteenth century to the present.

Applications & Methods

HRTS 2150: Devising Theatre for Social Justice I
F 10:00am-12:30pm
Asif Majid

Making theatre without a pre written script to address a social justice topic of interest, moving from initial stimulus to concluding performance. Students will center a contemporary issue of social justice while developing theatre making skills, emphasizing collaborative co creation, small group work, and the development and presentation of a range of performance forms. CA 1.

** This course is open to all students from all majors. No theatre experience is required or expected; all are welcome. Students from beyond Dramatic Arts are particularly encouraged to register. Feel free to contact the course professor with any questions (Asif Majid: asif.majid@uconn.edu). **

HRTS 3252: Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability
M 5:00-7:45pm
Rachel Chambers

This course provides an introduction to the human rights implications of multinational enterprises’ global operations. Students learn how to assess corporate social impact through a human rights framework, consider the challenges of regulating the human rights impacts of global business, analyze international policy responses, and evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches to enforcing human rights standards for corporations.

HRTS 3257: Assessment for Human Rights and Sustainability
T 6:00-8:30pm
Shareen Hertel & Davis Chacon Hurtado

Foundational concepts of human rights and environmental impacts pertaining to global supply chains. Regulations and voluntary standards in engineering-intensive sectors, including infrastructure, biofuels, electronics. Case study analysis of corporate assessment practices for labor rights protection and environmental impacts.

HRTS 3401: Applied Research in Human Rights
MWF 10:10-11:00am Hybrid
Michael Rubin

Development of research skills through practical experience in the field of human rights. In the classroom, students learn fundamentals of research design, data collection and analysis. Outside class, students develop these skills by directly contributing to active research projects centered on human rights issues led by faculty members.

HRTS 3540: Topics in Human Rights Practice - Gender and Environmental Justice
TTH 9:30-10:45am Online Synchronous
Carmel Christy Kattithara Joseph

The course aims to introduce debates on the environment as a crucial part of social justice, specifically with reference to gender movements.

HRTS 3640: Human Rights Archives I: Documenting and Curating Community Memory
F 12:20-3:20pm
Catherine Masud

The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will learn methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. This is the first part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

Electives 

HRTS 2203:  The Holocaust in Print, Theater, and Film
T 3:30-6:30pm
Grae Sibelman

Representations of the Holocaust, including first-hand accounts and documentaries; artistic choices in genre, structure, imagery, point of view, and the limits of representation. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

HRTS 2830: Class, Power, and Inequality
TTH 9:30-10:45am
Bhoomi Thakore

Inequality and its consequences in contemporary societies. Formerly offered as HRTS/SOCI 3421.

HRTS 3028W: Indigenous Rights and Aboriginal Australia
TTH 2:00-3:15pm
Francoise Dussart

An introduction to the study and understanding of Aboriginal ways of life and thought. An exploration of the complexity of contemporary indigenous social orders and land rights issues. CA 4-INT.

HRTS 3298.001: Human Rights, Art, and Reparations
MW 12:30-1:45pm Hybrid
Michael Orwicz

What role do the visual arts play in effectuating reparations for victims of human rights violations? Through case studies, this course explores the histories, practices, and controversies surrounding the use of visual art as reparation in the human rights systems of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

HRTS 3298.002: Variable Topics – Sports and Human Rights
TTH 11:00am-12:15pm
John Dunn

Why are athletes so often at the forefront of struggles for rights and justice? Why are sporting events so often sites where people try to claim their human rights, where others have their rights violated, and where regimes try to cover over their human rights records? If “it’s just a game” then why are the stakes so high? This course examines the intersections between human rights activism and violations and the world of sports in the past and the present. Potential topics include mega-sporting events, sports-washing, business and labor practices, athlete activism, performance enhancing drug use, participation of transgender athletes, youth sporting, and sports and development.

HRTS 3563: African American History to 1865
MWF 1:25-2:15pm
Cooper Owens

History of African-American people to 1865, from their West African roots, to their presence in colonial America, through enslavement and emancipation. Adaptation and resistance to their conditions in North America. Contributions by black people to the development of the United States.

HRTS 3575: Human Rights, Digital Media, Visual Culture
MW 3:30-4:45pm Hybrid
Michael Orwicz

The problematics of digital media and visual representation in conceptualizing, documenting, and visualizing human rights and humanitarian issues. CA 1.

HRTS 3580: Image as Witness: Testimony, Witness, Confession
MW 2:00-3:15pm Hybrid
Jose Falconi

Explores the role of visual culture in bearing witness to human rights abuses.

Capstone 

HRTS 4291: Service Learning Seminar/Internship
F 10:10-11:00am Online Synchronous
Alyssa Webb 

Combination of supervised fieldwork within the larger human rights community with regular classroom meetings for reflection/analysis on the application of human rights concepts and practices. Students must secure a satisfactory intern position before the end of the second week of the semester of enrollment in this course; students should be in consultation with the instructor several months in advance. 

HRTS 4996W: Senior Thesis
By arrangement

Research and writing of major project exploring a topic with human rights, with close supervision and production of multiple written drafts. 

Graduate

Fall 2024 Course Offerings: Master of Arts

Common Core Classes 

HRTS 5301: Contemporary Debates in Human Rights
M 12:20-3:20pm
Elizabeth Holzer

Key Debates in Human Rights will introduce students to the main modern debates in the academic field of human rights. It is interdisciplinary in scope, including recent intellectual contributions from philosophy, law, political science, sociology, anthropology, literature and history. It will address a number of central issues and questions, including the normative philosophical foundations of human rights, whether human rights are universal or relative, whether human rights can be held collectively, and the justifications for women's rights and cultural rights.

HRTS 5351.001: Topics in Human Rights Practice - Human Rights Archives I
F 12:20-3:20pm
Catherine Masud
The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will learn methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. This is the first part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

HRTS 5351.002: Topics in Human Rights Practice - Gender and Environmental Justice
TTH 9:30-10:45am
Carmel Christy Kattithara Joseph
The course aims to introduce debates on the environment as a crucial part of social justice, specifically with reference to gender movements.

HRTS 5401: Methods in Human Rights Research and Practice
TH 2:30-5:00pm
David L. Richards

An introduction to professional modes of human rights research and practice from multi-disciplinary perspectives. An exploration of roles of data collection, creation, and analysis in policy making and advocacy using principles of human rights evaluation. Examination of the relationship between human rights research and practical interventions affecting human rights outcomes.

Foundational Electives 

EDCI 5847: Human Rights and Social Justice in Education
T 5:00-7:45pm
Sandra Sirota

Introduction to human rights and social justice, two overlapping, but non-identical frameworks for understanding and acting through educational institutions, practices, and objectives.

HRTS 5450: Contemporary Issues in Genocide Studies - Deeply Divided Societies
T 1:30-4:00pm
James Waller

A deeply divided society is one where violence, or even the threat of violence in times of peace, keeps a society divided along social identity lines. These deep social cleavages leave societies at increased risk for large-scale violent conflict, including genocide or other atrocity crimes. This course analyzes risk assessment for genocide and mass atrocity through systematic analyses of case studies of deeply divided societies. These case studies will include, but are not limited to, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United States. Particular attention will be paid to the enduring impact of these deep identity divisions and the ways in which truth, memory, and justice continue to be pursued in each case.

Supplementary Electives

HRTS 5327: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Hate Speech
T 2:00-4:30pm
Richard Wilson

Draws on current social science research and legal scholarship to understand the effects of disinformation and hate speech on individual moral decision-making, as well as on wider politics and culture. Evaluates various private and public initiatives to regulate speech.

LAW 7653: European Human Rights
T 9:30am-12:30pm
Janis

Is an introduction to the most advanced system of international law devoted to the protection of human rights. The course explores (1) the European Court and Commission of Human Rights and contrasts the European system to other forms of international legal process, and (2) the rights protected by the European Human Rights Law, e.g., protection against torture, respect for private and family life, freedom of expression, fair trial, and contrasts them to the rights protected in the United States and Canada.

Fall 2024 Course Offerings: Graduate Certificate

Core Classes 

HRTS 5301: Contemporary Debates in Human Rights
M 12:20-3:20pm
Elizabeth Holzer

Key Debates in Human Rights will introduce students to the main modern debates in the academic field of human rights. It is interdisciplinary in scope, including recent intellectual contributions from philosophy, law, political science, sociology, anthropology, literature and history. It will address a number of central issues and questions, including the normative philosophical foundations of human rights, whether human rights are universal or relative, whether human rights can be held collectively, and the justifications for women's rights and cultural rights.

EDCI 5847: Human Rights and Social Justice in Education
T 5:00-7:45pm
Sandra Sirota

Introduction to human rights and social justice, two overlapping, but non-identical frameworks for understanding and acting through educational institutions, practices, and objectives.

Electives 

HRTS 5327: Propaganda, Disinformation, and Hate Speech
T 2:00-4:30pm
Richard Wilson

Draws on current social science research and legal scholarship to understand the effects of disinformation and hate speech on individual moral decision-making, as well as on wider politics and culture. Evaluates various private and public initiatives to regulate speech.

HRTS 5351.001: Topics in Human Rights Practice - Human Rights Archives I
F 12:20-3:20pm
Catherine Masud
The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will learn methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. This is the first part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

HRTS 5351.002: Topics in Human Rights Practice - Gender and Environmental Justice
TTH 9:30-10:45am
Carmel Christy Kattithara Joseph
The course aims to introduce debates on the environment as a crucial part of social justice, specifically with reference to gender movements.

HRTS 5401: Methods in Human Rights Research and Practice
TH 2:30-5:00pm
David L. Richards

An introduction to professional modes of human rights research and practice from multi-disciplinary perspectives. An exploration of roles of data collection, creation, and analysis in policy making and advocacy using principles of human rights evaluation. Examination of the relationship between human rights research and practical interventions affecting human rights outcomes.

HRTS 5450: Contemporary Issues in Genocide Studies - Deeply Divided Societies
T 1:30-4:00pm
James Waller

A deeply divided society is one where violence, or even the threat of violence in times of peace, keeps a society divided along social identity lines. These deep social cleavages leave societies at increased risk for large-scale violent conflict, including genocide or other atrocity crimes. This course analyzes risk assessment for genocide and mass atrocity through systematic analyses of case studies of deeply divided societies. These case studies will include, but are not limited to, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United States. Particular attention will be paid to the enduring impact of these deep identity divisions and the ways in which truth, memory, and justice continue to be pursued in each case.

LAW 7357: Insurance and Discrimination
Th 6:30-8:30pm
Yass

The insurance underwriting and pricing process, of necessity, involves making choices among applicants on an individual and group basis. At its core, this process involves discrimination. This class explores such discrimination and considers what are the allowable bounds. Our study will include, how risk is evaluated, what the transfer of risk entails as well as the role of insurers in current society and its historic role in the United States economy. Specific cases of race, geography, age, gender, health and disability will be evaluated, along with changes over time in insurers' treatment of these factors and what has prompted these changes.

LAW 7609: Asylum & Human Rights Clinic
T 2-5:00pm
Bauer

Students in this clinical program represent persons seeking political asylum in the United States. Asylum is available to individuals who can establish a well founded fear of persecution if returned to their home countries. Students exercise primary responsibility for all aspects of the asylum process, including proceedings in the Asylum Office of the Department of Homeland Security and hearings before Immigration judges. Students interview and counsel clients and investigate the facts supporting their claims, research human rights conditions in the client's home country, prepare supporting documentation and a brief in support of the asylum application, and represent clients at hearings and in related matters. Classroom seminars focus on the substantive and procedural law, both international and domestic, relevant to asylum claims, the lawyering skills that students will utilize in their cases, and the discussion of legal. tactical and ethical issues that arise in the context of the casework. This is a one semester clinic, but students have the opportunity to continue their work in subsequent semesters through Advanced Clinic Fieldwork. 9 credits (4 credits seminar, 5 credits fieldwork).

LAW 7653: European Human Rights
T 9:30am-12:30pm
Janis

Is an introduction to the most advanced system of international law devoted to the protection of human rights. The course explores (1) the European Court and Commission of Human Rights and contrasts the European system to other forms of international legal process, and (2) the rights protected by the European Human Rights Law, e.g., protection against torture, respect for private and family life, freedom of expression, fair trial, and contrasts them to the rights protected in the United States and Canada.

LAW 7655: Employment Discrimination Law
MW 3:30-5:00pm
Siegelman

This course focuses on a rapidly growing aspect of labor and employment law. The course introduces the concept of discrimination by examining Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Section 1981 of the Civil War Reconstruction Statutes. After exploring the process of proving and defending against individual and systematic discrimination claims, the course considers special problems in discrimination law that may include pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual preference, religious discrimination and retaliation. The course also examines the alternative approach to discrimination adopted in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Fundamentals of statutory construction, litigation strategy, and statistical methods of proof are emphasized. Numerous unresolved issues are addressed throughout the course. Procedures and remedies may also be considered.

LAW 7759: The Nuremberg Trials
W 10:30am-12:30pm
Anderson & Birmingham

This seminar is a study of war crime trials held in the aftermath of World War II, in their legal and social contexts: from the law of the late Weimer Republic (c. 1928-1933) and the Third Reich (1933-1945); through the Nuremberg Trials (1945-1949) and that of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem in 1961; to related domestic litigation under the Alien Tort Claims Act and otherwise.

SWEL 5318: Child Adolescent Trauma & Mental Health
M 4-6:30pm
Wilcox

Incorporates the new National Child Traumatic Stress Network core curriculum on child trauma (CCCT). The course conveys the crucial evidence-based concepts, components, and skills designed by the NCTSN to strengthen competency in assessment, referral, and treatment.

SWEL 5348: International Social Work Global Issues
Select Saturdays 10am-3:00pm
Thomas

Cross-national, comparative approach to selected topics in international social problems and social welfare. Consideration of the problem of developing nations and modernization and urbanization as worldwide processes; the role of international organizations; the role of social work in international issues; and the implications of cross-national study for practice.

Hybrid course: 10:00am-3:00pm: In-person on 9/7, 9/21, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, and 11/16. Additional asynchronous content for students to complete outside of the in-person times.