| CODE | SWP3512 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Human Rights Advocacy and Practice in Social Work and Social Policy | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit in intended to provide a foundation for students to acquire an understanding of human rights principles and develop practical competencies in applying them to social work and social policy. The first part of the study-unit focuses on what human rights are, why they are important, who is responsible in upholding them and the connection between international instruments and domestic legislation. Students will become familiar with the theoretical foundations, historical developments and practical implications of human rights and the mechanisms developed to deliver them at international, regional, and local levels. They will be exposed to ongoing debates about the nature and sufficiency of efforts in this regard and how different actors have addressed impunity and accountability for human rights violations through both judicial and non-judicial means. The second part outlines the roles and potential capacities of global, national, and local social movements and civil society organisations in fostering policy change and improving human rights conditions. It will focus on analysing the multifaceted nature of social movements that have sought to advance human rights causes, examining their emergence, frames, strategies, and impact. The third part of the unit takes a more practice-oriented approach to help students develop competencies in monitoring, documenting, and advocating for human rights. Students will become familiar with different advocacy strategies and the steps involved in planning an advocacy campaign from agenda building and goal setting, to engaging stakeholders, building coalitions through to evaluating. They will learn how to frame an issue in terms of internationally recognised human rights standards, how to submit complaints to an international human rights body and how to use various human rights advocacy tactics such as public education, media advocacy, lobbying and legislative advocacy. Study-unit Aims: The unit aims to provide an introductory critical perspective on concepts of human rights and the international, regional, and national human rights mechanisms developed to deliver them. It will discuss key trends in human rights that impact on social policy and social work practice and further aims to foster critical consciousness among students, enabling them to recognise and challenge systemic injustices through policy advocacy and collaborative efforts and promoting social change within a human rights framework. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically analyse key issues pertaining to human rights, including their universality, formulation, enforcement, and realisability; - Critically evaluate the conventional 'three generations' approach to human rights, understanding its significance in human rights literature, as well as recognising its limitations and contradictions; - Articulate the frameworks of human rights including international and regional declarations, treaties, and conventions; - Analyse the historical context and evolution of human rights, exploring key milestones and events that have shaped contemporary human rights discourse, focusing more specifically on the period of Enlightenment onwards; - Discuss the cultural and contextual sensitivity required in applying human rights principles to diverse populations and social contexts; - Identify and critically assess instances of human rights violations globally and locally, considering the social, political, and economic factors that contribute to such violations; - Define the legal protections and mechanisms available for the enforcement of human rights, both at the national and international levels; - Analyse the implications of a human rights perspective for the processes and structures of social work and social policy; - Describe theories and models of collective action, exploring historical and contemporary examples within a human right context; - Analyse the multifaceted nature of social movements that have sought to advance human rights causes, examining their emergence, frames, strategies, and impact. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply human rights principles to social work practice, policy analysis, and advocacy efforts, ensuring a rights-based approach in professional activities; - Apply an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on perspectives from law, politics, economics, sociology, philosophy and history to comprehensively understand human rights; - Navigate and interpret legal frameworks related to human rights, utilising this knowledge to inform advocacy strategies and interventions; - Integrate human rights considerations into ethical decision-making processes, ensuring that social policy and social work interventions align with a rights-based approach; - Apply critical thinking skills to analyse and challenge arguments related to human rights, with an emphasis on their implications for advocacy and practical action; - Design a hypothetical advocacy campaign at the legislative, community, or organisational level, utilising human rights frameworks to address specific social issues. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Ife, J., Soldatic, K. & Briskman, L. (2022). Human rights and social work: Towards Rights-based Practice. 4th Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Jansson, B.S. (2017). Becoming an effective policy advocate: from policy practice to social justice, 8th Ed. California: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Supplementary Readings: - Choudry, A. (2015). Learning activism: The intellectual life of contemporary social movements. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. - Cox, L.E., Tice, C.J., & Long, D.D. (2022). Advocacy in Social Work, Chapter 4. In Introduction to social work: an advocacy-based profession (3rd Ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications. - Donnelly, J. (2013). Universal Human Rights in theory and practice. 3rd Edition. London: Cornell University Press. - Edwards, M. (2020). Civil society, 4th Ed. Cambridge: Polity Press. - Gatenio Gabel, S. (2016). A rights based approach to social policy analysis. New York: Springer. - Jansson, B.S. (2020). Social welfare policy and advocacy: Advancing social justice through eight policy sectors, 2nd Ed. California: Sage Publications. - McCann, G. & O ‘hAdhmaill, F. (Eds.). (2020). International human rights, social policy and global development: Critical Perspectives. Bristol: Bristol University Policy Press. - Palma Carvajal, J.F. (2021). Advocacy NGOs and the neoliberal pacification of the demands of the street. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan Cham. - Wronka, J. (2024). Human rights and social justice: Social action and service for the helping and health professions, 3rd Ed. San Diego: Cognella. Various academic articles and case studies will be provided as supplementary readings. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study and Project | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Andreana Dibben |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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