Human Rights and Education
EDST 352
Spring 2024
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01
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Since the end of World War II, the idea of human rights has spread around the world with numerous documents, laws, and programs created to promote human rights in and through education. Within human rights discourses, education has emerged as simultaneously a right in and of itself, a crucial space that can either reproduce discriminatory practices or subvert and resist them, and a means through which knowledge of human rights can be promoted. But what do these developments in human rights and education mean in the everyday lives of formerly and currently colonized and oppressed peoples in the US and around the world, for whom education has been and continues to be used explicitly as a tool of oppression, forced assimilation, and violence? This class will explore this and other key questions related to human rights and education. What does it mean to be human, and how do we learn to be human? What rights mark a human being, who has them, and how do we learn who has them? Who, if anyone, should have a right to education? If they have a right to education, what kind of education is it? How does education as a human right relate to human rights education, and what are the implications of this relationship for our understanding of what changes to existing schooling systems might accomplish in terms of expanding and improving all humans' rights? |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS EDST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (EDST-MN)(EDST)(HRAD-MN) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Sample readings: Bajaj, M. (2017). Human rights education: Theory, research, praxis. University of Pennsylvania Press. Zembylas, M. (2017). Re-contextualising human rights education: Some decolonial strategies and pedagogical/curricular possibilities. Pedagogy, Culture & Society 25(4), 487-499. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. PBS Wide Angle (2016). Time for school.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Moodle reflections: Students will post 6 reflections (400-500 words) to Moodle engaging with provided prompts about class materials, as well as a short thoughtful response to a classmates' post.
Contemporary Issue 'discussion Facilitation: At specified times during the semester, small assigned groups will meet during the last 25 minutes of class during which one student will lead a discussion about a contemporary event that exemplifies the concepts and themes discussed in this course.
Group human rights project: In groups students will present a 30 minute seminar that addresses a human rights topic of your choice that relates to the Wesleyan and/or the larger community. Prior to presenting the seminar students will together submit a short (2-3 pages) outline detailing the topic you will discuss, the audience for your topic (e.g. university admins, community members, students, etc.), the goal of your presentation (e.g. propose policy recommendations, raise awareness, etc), and an outline explaining how your seminar will be organized and the duties of each group member |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course will satisfy the Category 2 requirement for the EDST major and minor. This course will satisfy the Human Rights and Theories of Change category of the HRAD-MN. |
| Instructor(s): Speciale,Teresa Times: .M.W... 08:20AM-09:40AM; Location: FISK305; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 5 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 3 | FR: 3 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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