SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

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1 SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS Voyage: Spring 2015 Disciplines: Cross-Listed Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Anthropology PLIR 3310: Ethics and Human Rights in World Politics (Division: Upper) PSYC : Psychology, Human Rights & Social Justice (Division: Upper) ANTH 2590: Human Rights & Social Justice (Division: Lower) Faculty Names: Krista Wiegand, Walton R. Johnson, and Scott Plous Credit Hours: 3; Contact Hours: 38 Prerequisites: None COURSE DESCRIPTION This course jointly taught by professors of political science, anthropology, and psychology offers a global perspective on human rights and social justice. The first part of the course will provide a cross-cultural introduction to prejudice and discrimination, social justice, intergroup relations, and human rights. For example, we'll examine what human rights are, how they work in various parts of the world, and why they're important. In the next part of the course, we'll focus on specific cases of discrimination and social domination involving political, religious, and ethnic persecution, caste-based biases, and racial discrimination. During this part of the course, the class sessions and accompanying homework assignments will often relate to the port cities visited during our voyage. For instance, we'll look at political rights when visiting Burma, caste differences when visiting India, and race relations when visiting South Africa. In addition, each port stay will be preceded with a briefing on human rights in that country. Finally, the course will end with a look at future trends and debates, including movements to grant legal rights to nonhuman primates, the role of transnational actors such as the United Nations, and effective strategies to promote social justice and safeguard human rights. COURSE OBJECTIVES From ancient times to the present, human history reveals not only a record of remarkable social development but a record of social stratification, inequality, and persecution. How are we to understand these competing impulses? The objectives of this course are for students to: 1. Learn about the psychology of prejudice, discrimination, and various forms of social subjugation. 2. Understand human rights and social justice from a cross-cultural perspective based on a combination of classroom instruction and field experiences in different countries during the voyage. 3. Assess past and current thinking about the nature of human rights and the global prospects for greater social justice. 4. Become empowered to use knowledge and insights from this course to become effective global citizens.

2 REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AUTHOR: Jack Donnelly TITLE: Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice PUBLISHER: Cornell University Press ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2013 / 3rd TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE The following schedule may be modified to suit student interests or take advantage of special opportunities that arise during the voyage. All reading and assignments should be completed by the beginning of class on the day of the deadline. Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment Jan 7 Depart Ensenada, Mexico 1 Jan 9 Our World Today: Human Rights and Social Justice (WJ) Human Rights: An Overview (Council on Foreign Relations) 2 Jan 11 The Roots of Injustice: A Psychological Overview (SP) Plous, pp Jan 13 Stigmas Old and New (SP) Plous, pp , 92-97, Jan 14 Hilo, Hawaii 4 Jan 16 Racial Injustice and Racial Privilege (SP) Plous, pp. 111, , , , Jan 18 The Changing Face of Sexism and Gender Equality (SP) Plous, pp , , 271 Jan 20 Group Discussions: The Psychology of Prejudice 6 Jan 22 Heterosexism and Transgender Bias (SP) Plous, pp , , Jan 24 Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust (SP) Plous, pp Human Rights Briefing: Japan Fogarty, P. (2008, June 6). Recognition at last for Japan's Ainu. BBC News. Jan Jan 28 Yokohama, Japan In Transit

3 Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment Jan Kobe, Japan 8 Feb 1 An Introduction to Human Rights (KW) The Story of Human Rights Donnelly, Chapters 1, 5, & 9 Human Rights Briefing: China Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: China. Feb 3-4 Feb 5-6 Feb 7-8 Shanghai, China In Transit Hong Kong 9 Feb 9 Human Rights Norms in International Law (KW) Donnelly, Chapters 2, 4, & 6 Human Rights Briefing: Vietnam Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Vietnam. Feb Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 10 Feb 17 Democratization and State Repression (KW) Donnelly, Chapter 13 Human Rights Briefing: Singapore Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Singapore. Feb Feb 21 Singapore Group Discussions: Democracy and Human Rights 11 Feb 22 Political Persecution and Human Rights (KW) Turnell, Sean. (2011, Fall/Winter). Myanmar's fifty year authoritarian trap. Journal of International Affairs, 65(1), Hlaing, Kyaw Yin. (2012, August). Understanding recent political changes in Myanmar. Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International & Strategic Affairs, 34(2), Human Rights Briefing: Burma Human Rights in Burma Ø Port Visit Journal Entry #1 Due Feb 24-Mar 1 Rangoon, Burma 2

4 Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment 12 Mar 2 Religious and Ethnic Persecution and Freedom (KW) Donnelly, Chapter 10 Horowitz, Donald L. (2000). Ethnic Groups in Conflict, Oakland, CA: University of California Press, pp and Julius, Demetrios A. (1991). The genesis and perpetuation of aggression in international conflicts. In V. D. Volkan, D. A. Julius, and J. V. Montville (Eds.), The psychodynamics of international relationships: Unofficial diplomacy at work (pp ). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. 13 Mar 4 Caste: The Perfect System of Domination (WJ) Wikipedia. (2014). Caste System in India. Position of Dalits in the Indian Caste System Attitudes of the Indians Toward the Dalits Living as an Outcaste in India Caste Violence in Haryana Human Rights Briefing: India Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: India. Mar 6-11 Cochin, India 14 Mar 12 Differing Manifestations of "Race" in Southern Africa (WJ) Coleman, Max. (1998). The many faces of repression. In M. Coleman (Ed.), A crime against humanity: Analysing the repression of the apartheid state. Capetown, South Africa: Human Rights Commission. Familara, Aileen. (undated). Mauritius: Communities of paradise. Quezon City, Philippines: Isis International. Mar 14 Group Discussions: The Nature of Social Domination 15 Mar 15 Why Do Some People Violate Others' Rights? (WJ) The Psychology of Evil (Philip Zimbardo TED talk) Johnson, W. (2008). Are "whites" in South Africa really ready for democracy? Social Identities, 14(5), Ø Port Visit Journal Entry #2 Due 3

5 Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment 16 Mar 17 What About America? (WJ) Savage, C. (2014, March 14). U.S., rebuffing U.N., maintains stance that rights treaty does not apply abroad. New York Times, p. A12. Miller, G., & Goldman, A. (2014, April 3). Senate panel votes to release CIA interrogation report. Washington Post. Cumming-Bruce, N. (2014, March 29). Human rights panel criticizes U.S. New York Times, p. A10. Human Rights Briefing: Mauritius Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. (2014). Mauritius 2013 Human Rights Report. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Washington, DC: United States Department of State. Mar 18 Port Louis, Mauritius 17 Mar 20 Reform and Reconciliation (WJ) Murphy, Jeffrie E. (2003). Getting even: Forgiveness and its limits (Introduction: Responding to evil, pp. 3-8). New York: Oxford University Press. de Grieff, Pablo. (2006). Justice and reparations. In Pablo de Grieff (Ed.), The handbook of reparations (pp ). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Villa-Vicencio, Charles. (2003). Restorative justice in social context: The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In Nigel Biggar (Ed.), Burying the past: Making peace and doing justice after civil conflict (pp ). Washington: Georgetown University Press. Wolterstorff, Nicholas. (undated). Does forgiveness violate justice? Mar 21 Group Discussions: Who Are the People Who Dominate? 18 Mar 23 Where Are We Now? Where Do We Go From Here? (WJ) Prager, Denis. (2011, April 3). Social Justice Novak, Michael. (2000, December). Defining social justice. First Things, 108, pp Fabricius, P. (2014, April 10). "Geography of justice" riles Africa. Cape Times. Human Rights Briefing: South Africa SouthAfrica.info. (2014, February. You and your rights. Mar Cape Town, South Africa 4

6 Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment 19 Mar 31 Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide (WJ) Schabas, William A. (undated). Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. Hadley, B. L. (2005). From Africa to Auschwitz: How German South West Africa incubated ideas and methods adopted and developed by the Nazis in Eastern Europe. European History Quarterly, 35(3), Power, Samantha. (undated). Never again: The world's most unfulfilled promise. Frontline, PBS.org. Human Rights Briefing: Namibia Amnesty International. (2014). Namibia Human Rights. Apr 2-6 Walvis Bay, Namibia 20 Apr 7 Humanitarian Intervention (KW) Donnelly, Chapters 14 & 15 Smith, Michael J. (2001). Humanitarian intervention: An overview of ethical issues. In Patrick Hayden (Ed.), The Philosophy of Human Rights. St. Paul, MN: Paragon House. 21 Apr 9 Social Justice for Animals? The Movement for Nonhuman Rights (SP) Plous, pp , Ø Port Visit Journal Entry #3 Due Apr 10 Group Discussions: Reflections on Race and Ethnicity 22 Apr 12 Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination (SP) Plous, pp , , 490, Ø "Making a Difference" Paper Due Apr 14 Exam Review and Discussion of Central Course Themes 23 Apr 15 Transnational Actors and the Responsibility to Protect (KW) United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. (undated). The Responsibility to Protect. Donnelly, Chapters 11 & 14 5

7 Class Date Topic, Activity, and/or Assignment 24 Apr 17 Self-Determination As a Solution? (KW) Knight, D. B. (1999). Geographical perspectives of selfdetermination. In P. Taylor & J. House (Eds.), Political Geography: Recent Advances and Future Directions (pp ). Totowa, NJ: Barns & Noble Books. Maghraaoui, A. (2003, Spring). Ambiguities of sovereignty: Morocco, the Hague and the Western Sahara dispute. Mediterranean Politics, 8(1), Zunes, S. (2013, December 20). US should stand up for Western Sahara s self-determination. National Catholic Reporter, p. 29. Human Rights Briefing: Morocco Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Morocco/Western Sahara. Apr Casablanca, Morocco 25 Apr 25 Ø Final Exam Apr 29 Southampton, England DISCUSSION SESSIONS During each of the academic calendar's designated Study Days (except the day before the final exam, which will be a review session), you'll meet with roughly a dozen classmates for a group discussion. These discussion sessions will be led by a professor but will focus on questions from both students as well as faculty. To receive credit for participating for a session, you must arrive on time (worth 1 point) and submit a typed sheet with three questions that you'd like to discuss related to the course readings, lectures, or videos (worth 1 point per question). Details on the time, location, assigned group, and other logistics will be given on the first day of class. All told, the group discussions will account for 20% of your course grade (five sessions worth 4 points each). FIELD WORK (1) Journal Entries (30 points) As we seek to understand social justice and human rights, the time spent in port will be just as valuable and educational as the time spent on board. For example, when visiting different countries, you'll be able to observe the status of various social groups everything from levels of racial and gender segregation in public spaces to media portrayals in billboards and magazines to the handicap accessibility of buildings and mass transit systems. In addition, on the first day of class we'll provide you with a list of history museums, social justice organizations, and related travel sites that you can visit in various countries. 6

8 To make the most of these port stays, we ask that you submit a 1-2 page "journal entry" connecting course topics with your observations and insights from the time spent visiting different countries (due at the beginning of Sessions 11, 15, and 21). When drafting these journal entries, try go beyond a purely descriptive travelogue ("I visited XYZ and did ABC") to offer your own unique analyses and ideas related to social justice and human rights. In doing so, don't be afraid to research your journal topic or interview other people, and whenever possible, draw on information and experiences from more than one country. Tip: Given the two-page limit, it's generally best to pick one central theme rather than trying to cover multiple topics. To help focus the journal entry, it's also good to give your paper a thematic title (e.g., "Women's Rights in Asia: A Three-Country Paradox") rather than a generic label such as "Journal Entry #1." Journal entries will be graded primarily on the basis of creativity and critical thinking, but style will also be considered. To minimize errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, please spellcheck your work and proofread the printed version. The grading for each journal entry will range from 0-10 points along the following scale: u u u u u u 10 points = truly superlative (a cleanly written, rare gem of insight) 8 points = very good (clean writing and creative, novel analyses) 6 points = generally good (shows a mastery of the course material) 4 points = acceptable (somewhat thin or contains significant errors) 2 point = marginally acceptable (very thin or contains major errors) 0 points = not turned in on time (late entries will not be accepted) (2) Final Paper Assignment: Making a Difference (20 points) One of the main vehicles for social change is the act of voting in elections and on referenda. Another is the act of joining local organizations that promote change. But as a global citizen, how can you reduce injustice in countries where you don't live? For the final paper in this class, your assignment is to use what you've learned to help strengthen social justice or human rights in one or more of the countries visited, and to report on your efforts. What did you choose to do, and why? How effective was it compared with other actions you might have taken, and how might it be made more effective? In 3-5 pages, describe and analyze the experience drawing on material from the course. As with journal entries, this paper will be graded on creativity, critical thinking, and style. GUIDELINES AND TIPS FOR WRITTEN WORK When writing for this class, please: Be original rather than playing it safe and saying what's obvious Use specific examples rather than being abstract and general Consider the role of culture and draw on multiple port experiences Use 12-point font, 1" inch margins, and do not exceed the page limit Print your paper at least one day before the deadline (there are no extensions) 7

9 What you'll be graded on includes: How factually correct your paper is How creative, insightful, or original the work is How logical and well reasoned your conclusions are How clear and well organized the writing is How well you incorporated the role of culture Tip: When completing written work for this class, please skip lengthy introductions or restatements of material from the course lectures or readings. Instead, dive in to your own content after a sentence or two of opening context, and don't let your paper stray from its main points. METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Grading will be done using a 100-point system. The final examination will be worth 30 course points and will include a variety of fixed format questions (e.g., multiple choice, true-false), short answer items, and essay questions covering content from the class sessions (including all human rights briefings), required readings, and in-class or assigned videos. No readings or videos designated as "optional" will be covered on the exam. The following table contains a breakdown of all course points. Course Component Points Journal Entries (10 points each) 30 Group Discussions (4 points each) 20 Paper Assignment: Making a Difference 20 Final Examination 30 Total points possible 100 Once the course ends, your point total will be converted to a final letter grade. Because this course hasn't been given before, it's difficult to specify in advance how various scores will translate into particular letter grades. Nonetheless, you may use the following cutoffs as a rough guide (the final cutoffs might be different from these, but not by much). These cutoffs are based on Peterson's the most common method of matching letter grades to 100-point scales: Letter Grade Point Total A A A B

10 B B C C C D D D F below 60 CLASS PARTICIPATION The value of this course depends in part on what you bring to it each member of the class is personally responsible for the quality of our time together, and we welcome your contributions. To participate fully, please: (1) arrive punctually to all sessions and course events, (2) complete all required readings on time, (3) contribute to the group without dominating the discussion, and (4) help create a climate in which others can comfortably share their opinions. DOCUMENTARIES America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference (1994, 60 minutes, edited) Call Me Kuchu (2012, 13 minutes, edited) Coming to Terms (1990, 9 minutes, edited) Interview with Raul Hilberg (1989, 11 minutes, edited) Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey (2003, 120 minutes) Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She (2005, 24 minutes, edited) Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich (2004; 60 minutes) Race: The Power of an Illusion (2003; 28 minutes, edited) Speciesism: The Movie (2013; 10 minutes, edited) Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and in Wealth (2008, 13 minutes, edited) Optional Viewing A Time for Justice: America's Civil Rights Movement (1992, 38 minutes) The Canary Effect (2006, 35 minutes, edited) 9

11 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS Amnesty International. (2014). Namibia Human Rights. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. (2014). Mauritius 2013 Human Rights Report. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Washington, DC: United States Department of State. Coleman, Max. (1998). The many faces of repression. In M. Coleman (Ed.), A crime against humanity: Analysing the repression of the apartheid state. Capetown, South Africa: Human Rights Commission. Cumming-Bruce, N. (2014, March 29). Human rights panel criticizes U.S. New York Times, p. A10. de Grieff, Pablo. (2006). Justice and reparations. In Pablo de Grieff (Ed.), The handbook of reparations (pp ). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fabricius, P. (2014, April 10). "Geography of justice" riles Africa. Cape Times. Familara, Aileen. (undated). Mauritius: Communities of paradise. Quezon City, Philippines: Isis International. Fogarty, P. (2008, June 6). Recognition at last for Japan's Ainu. BBC News. Hadley, B. L. (2005). From Africa to Auschwitz: How German South West Africa incubated ideas and methods adopted and developed by the Nazis in Eastern Europe. European History Quarterly, 35(3), Hlaing, Kyaw Yin. (2012, August). Understanding recent political changes in Myanmar. Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International & Strategic Affairs, 34(2), Horowitz, Donald L. (2000). Ethnic Groups in Conflict, Oakland, CA: University of California Press, pp and Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: China. Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: India. Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Morocco/Western Sahara. Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Singapore. Human Rights Watch. (2014). World Report 2014: Vietnam. Johnson, W. (2008). Are "whites" in South Africa really ready for democracy? Social Identities, 14(5), Julius, Demetrios A. (1991). The genesis and perpetuation of aggression in international conflicts. In V. D. Volkan, D. A. Julius, and J. V. Montville (Eds.), The psychodynamics of international relationships: Unofficial diplomacy at work (pp ). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Knight, D. B. (1999). Geographical perspectives of self-determination. In P. Taylor & J. House (Eds.), Political Geography: Recent Advances and Future Directions (pp ). Totowa, NJ: Barns & Noble Books. Maghraaoui, A. (2003, Spring). Ambiguities of sovereignty: Morocco, the Hague and the Western Sahara dispute. Mediterranean Politics, 8(1), Miller, G., & Goldman, A. (2014, April 3). Senate panel votes to release CIA interrogation report. Washington Post. Murphy, Jeffrie E. (2003). Getting even: Forgiveness and its limits (Introduction: Responding to evil, pp. 3-8). New York: Oxford University Press. Novak, Michael. (2000, December). Defining social justice. First Things, 108, pp

12 Plous, S. (2003). Understanding prejudice and discrimination. New York: McGraw-Hill. Power, Samantha. (undated). Never again: The world's most unfulfilled promise. Frontline, PBS.org. Savage, C. (2014, March 14). U.S., rebuffing U.N., maintains stance that rights treaty does not apply abroad. New York Times, p. A12. Schabas, William A. (undated). Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. Smith, Michael J. (2001). Humanitarian intervention: An overview of ethical issues. In Patrick Hayden (Ed.), The Philosophy of Human Rights. St. Paul, MN: Paragon House. SouthAfrica.info. (2014, February. You and your rights. Turnell, Sean. (2011, Fall/Winter). Myanmar's fifty year authoritarian trap. Journal of International Affairs, 65(1), United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. (undated). The Responsibility to Protect. Villa-Vicencio, Charles. (2003). Restorative justice in social context: The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In Nigel Biggar (Ed.), Burying the past: Making peace and doing justice after civil conflict (pp ). Washington: Georgetown University Press. Wikipedia. (2014). Caste System in India. Wolterstorff, Nicholas. (undated). Does forgiveness violate justice? Zunes, S. (2013, December 20). US should stand up for Western Sahara s selfdetermination. National Catholic Reporter, p. 29. COURSE POLICIES ATTENDANCE Because our class sessions will cover material that goes beyond the readings, attendance is absolutely essential and will be recorded at the beginning of class. After two unexcused absences (i.e., absences not due to a medical problem or an emergency), there will be a 5-point penalty for each additional unexcused absence, so please do your best to attend all sessions and arrive punctually. ASSIGNMENTS All assignments you submit must be original (not reprinted, excerpted, or adapted from existing work such as papers for other classes, books, articles, web pages). Similarly, all text, tables, figures, and images reproduced from other sources must include clear reference citations, and all quoted passages must use quotation marks to indicate that they are quotations. If you're not sure about how to properly cite a source, please ask rather than running the risk of an honor code violation. Also, please note that late assignments will not be accepted except in the event of a serious illness or emergency; please backup your work and print a copy of your assignments at least one day before they're due. CELL PHONES AND RECORDING DEVICES Before each class session begins, please turn off all mobile phones and recording devices. Audio or video recording of lectures or class sessions without permission is expressly forbidden. 11

13 HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University's honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager's Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: "On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment." The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed with your name typed and followed by "[signed]" (including the square brackets) after your name. 12