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Module Catalogue

HI3K3-30 A History of Human Rights in Latin America

Department
History
Level
Undergraduate Level 3
Module leader
Rosie Doyle
Credit value
30
Module duration
22 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

In global histories of human rights Latin American nations and Latin Americans often appear as victims rather than possessors of a unique tradition of rights. A unique tradition of human rights took shape in Latin America from the 1940s. Latin American governments and diplomats were central to the processes which established the international human rights system in the 1940s. The ideas about social and economic rights that Latin Americans brought, and continue to bring, to the debating table were the result of a tradition developed through processes of revolution and reform since independence in the early nineteenth century. Some studies trace the tradition of rights in Latin America back to the colonial period and developments in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Module web page

Module aims

As current issues of rights to security, migrant rights and indigenous rights and rights to self- determination and autonomy take centre stage in Latin American political and social life, this course analyses the development of rights in the region in historical perspective. It looks at the relationship between rights, democracy, liberalism, Catholicism and social revolt and analyses the range of civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights and their interplay with notions of citizenship, race, class and gender. It does so through an exploration of the processes of constitution-making, state-building, revolution and resistance in the nineteenth century and the rise of nationalism and processes of reform and revolution and Latin American states’ involvement in the international human rights system and transnational movements of resistance and rights in the twentieth-century. Students will analyse the current literature on rights, the historiography of resistance and revolution as well a broad range of primary sources. The course starts with a series of lectures and seminars discussing the themes of human rights over the longue durée. It then takes a chronological approach starting with the colonial period but focusing particularly on the history of rights since Independence at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Term 1

  1. Introduction: Human rights today and human rights in history.
  2. Religion and Rights 1: Scholasticism, evangelization and the Catholic Church.
  3. Religion and Rights 2: Secularisation, Social Catholicism, Liberation Theology.
  4. The Evolution of Rights 1: Nation, sovereignty and civil and political rights.
  5. The Evolution of Rights 2: Economic, social and cultural rights. MRC Workshop (4-5pm).
  6. Reading Week - no seminars
  7. The Evolution of Rights 3: Communal rights and indigenous rights.
  8. Citizenship and Identity: Collective and individual rights. Race, gender and class.
  9. Political Legitimacy and Governance: Liberalism, socialism and democracy.
  10. Gender, Sexuality and Rights: Rights and responsibilities.

Term 2

  1. Consequences of Conquest: Colonialism and rights.
  2. Independence and Rights in Revolution: state building, revolution, constitution-making and rights.
  3. Rights in Reform: Liberalism, Popular Liberalism, Social Catholicism.
  4. Liberalism in crisis: The Social Question and socio-economic rights.
  5. Social Rights from above and below: Socialism, nationalism, populism, revolution.
  6. Reading Week - no seminars
  7. International Human Rights: Latin American delegations and social rights
  8. Latin America and the Global Politics of Human Rights: The Cold War, authoritarianism, insurgency and counter-insurgency, revolution.
  9. Globalization, Neoliberalism and Indigenous Rights: autonomy and self-determination.
  10. Transitional Justice and Memory

Term 3

  1. Democratisation and Rights: Rights-based development. Migrant rights and rights to security
  2. Human Rights and Environmental Rights

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a systematic knowledge and understanding of the development of human rights in Latin America
  • Critically analyse and evaluate a broad range of primary sources relating to the history of human rights in Latin America
  • Effectively communicate ideas, and make informed, coherent and persuasive arguments, relating to the history of human rights in Latin America
  • Take responsibility to identify, design, and produce a coherent project on human rights in Latin America by creating content for a non-academic audience
  • Critically review and consolidate theoretical, methodological, and historiographical ideas relating to the developments in research on the Global History of Human Rights

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Specific reading list for the module

Subject specific skills

See learning outcomes.

Transferable skills

See learning outcomes.

Study time

Type Required Optional
Seminars 20 sessions of 2 hours (13%)
Tutorials 4 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
External visits (0%) 1 session of
Private study 256 hours (85%)
Total 300 hours

Private study description

History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A2
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
Seminar contribution 10% No
Reassessment component
1000 word reflection Yes (extension)
Assessment component
1500 word essay 10% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
3000 word applied history assignment 40% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
3000 word essay 40% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

Written comments and oral feedback from the tutor one to one. Peer assessment and feedback from the tutor in class, study groups and on Moodle.

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 3 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History

This module is Option list A for:

  • Year 3 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
  • Year 4 of UHIA-V101 Undergraduate History (with Year Abroad)

This module is Option list B for:

  • Year 3 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
  • Year 4 of UHIA-V1V6 Undergraduate History and Philosophy (with Year Abroad)
  • Year 3 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
  • Year 4 of UHIA-VM12 Undergraduate History and Politics (with Year Abroad)
  • Year 3 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology
  • Year 4 of UHIA-VL14 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with Year Abroad)