HUMR5501-07 Ethnic Challenges to the Nation-State Introduction N. Butenschøn 2007
Course content This course addresses challenges faced by States with cultural/ethnic heterogeneous populations within their borders. Normative Political Legal N. Butenschøn 2007
Methodological design Multi-disciplinary and comparative perspectives on legal and political orders N. Butenschøn 2007
The human rights perspective How these legal and political orders relate to the standards of the international human rights system. Particular learning outcomes: Collective (aspects of) rights in international human rights law; Challenges for their implementation at the national level; The formation of group identity; Problems and tensions in guaranteeing the implementation of individual rights while considering group claims. N. Butenschøn 2007
Important concepts Democray Ethnicity Nationalism Autonomy Federalism Citizenship Self-determination Indigenous rights Non-discrimination Etc. N. Butenschøn 2007
Relevance for the MA-program An exercise in multidisciplinarity Addresses ongoing discourses on Individual vs collective rights; Universal vs particularistic rights; Political vs ESC rights; The role of the state in ”conflict zone” between majorities and minorities. N. Butenschøn 2007
Lectures 1. Tuesday 21. August: Introduction to the course. Nils Butenschøn and Maria Lundberg 2. Thursday 23. August: Political responses I. Nils Butenschøn 3. Tuesday 4. September: Political Responses II. 4. Tuesday 11. September: Theories of group formation Kjetil Tronvoll 5. Tuesday 2. October: Legal Reponses I Maria Lundberg 6. Tuesday 9. October: Legal Reponses II 7. Tuesday 16. October: Legal Reponses III N. Butenschøn 2007
Seminars Case studies; Student presentations – three students on each case. Organised by students/Bente; Presented to class and in-house expert. N. Butenschøn 2007
Seminars/ Student presentations Tuesday 6. November: China Maria Lundberg Friday 9. November: Ethiopia Kjetil Tronvoll Tuesday 13. November: Israel/Palestine Nils Butenschøn Friday 16. November: Indonesia Knut Asplund N. Butenschøn 2007
Exam: Written assignment Handed out 11 September; To be submitted 1 December; Apply a legal approach, a social science approach, or a combination; Must address themes in the required reading list and at least one of the empirical cases discussed in the seminars. N. Butenschøn 2007