Not available in 2021/22
SP439      Half Unit
Social Rights and Human Welfare

This information is for the 2021/22 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Hartley Dean OLD.2.59

Availability

This course is available on the MSc in Human Rights and MSc in Human Rights and Politics. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course is currently capped at 30 places. Offers of places will be made on the basis of applicants' statements. Initial priority for places is given to students on Social Policy MSc programmes and students on the MSc Human Rights. Other students may be accepted onto a waiting list. Places remaining available three days before the start of the course will not be held back for late applicants from the Department of Social Policy or the Human Rights programmes but offered to students from the waiting list.

Pre-requisites

none

Course content

The course will examine the basis of social or welfare rights as a component of human rights. It will situate social/welfare rights in an historical and comparative context and explore a range of debates concerning the relevance and effectiveness of a rights based approach to poverty alleviation and social welfare provision, both in the developed and the developing world. It will address the practical limitations of and the constraints upon social/welfare rights. Specifically, it will address: concepts of social rights and welfare citizenship; human needs and human rights; social/welfare rights in global context; critiques of social/welfare rights as human rights; the scope and substance of social/welfare rights; social/welfare rights and mechanisms of redress; rights based approaches to poverty alleviation; social development and social/welfare rights; constitutional instruments and social/welfare rights; human rights and the ethics of welfare.

Teaching

10 hours of lectures and 13 hours and 30 minutes of seminars in the MT. 1 hour and 30 minutes of seminars in the LT. 1 hour of lectures in the ST.

Formative coursework

Students have the option of submitting a formative essay.

Indicative reading

H Dean, Social Rights and Human Welfare, Routledge, 2015. Other relevant readings include: H Dean, Understanding Human Need, The Policy Press, 2010; A Eide, et al (Eds), Economic, Cultural and Social Rights: A textbook, Martinas Nijhaff, 2001; B Turner, Vulnerability and Human Rights, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006; T Pogge (Ed), Freedom from Poverty as a Human Right, Oxford University Press, 2007 A Nevile (Ed.), Human Rights and Social Policy, Edward Elgar, 2010; C Gearty & V Mantouvalou, Debating Social Rights, Hart Publishing, 2011.

Assessment

Exam (75%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.
Essay (25%, 1500 words) in the LT.

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2021/22 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the differing needs of students in attendance on campus and those who might be studying online. For example, this may involve changes to the mode of teaching delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.

Key facts

Department: Social Policy

Total students 2020/21: Unavailable

Average class size 2020/21: Unavailable

Controlled access 2020/21: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information