Undergraduate Course: Innovations from Global South Actors (LAWS10265)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Major powers were often dominant in constructing modern political and legal systems. However, Global South actors have also been a powerful but underacknowledged force in shaping world affairs. The subject of the course is how intergovernmental organisations in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia have shaped political and legal norms and institutions in human rights, peace and security, and disaster management. The course objectives are to build knowledge of Global South contributions and to foster research, presenting, and analytical skills. By the end of the course, students will have in-depth knowledge of:
- Regional norms in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and how regional bodies shape regional legal and political norms;
- The intersection of political and legal norms and their impact on governance, policy, and practice;
- The legal innovations from regional courts;
- Theories of norm creation and dissemination and how regional actors may have influenced regional and global governance;
- Areas of normative innovation by Global South actors and how these actors may have impacted policies and practice in other regions and globally.
- Regional norms in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and how regional bodies shape regional legal and political norms;
- The intersection of political and legal norms and their impact on governance, policy, and practice;
- Theories of norm creation and dissemination and how regional actors may have influenced regional and global governance;
- Areas of normative innovation by Global South actors and how these actors may have impacted policies and practice in other regions and globally. |
| Course description |
Week 1 - Theories on Global South Contributions to the Global Order
Week 2 - Latin American Influence on Human Rights - Economic and Social Rights
Week 3 - African Advocacy to use Racial Equality Norms to Influence State Behaviour
Week 4 - The Legal and Political Underpinnings of Humanitarian Intervention
Week 5 - Legal and Political Underpinnings of Restricting Small and Light Arms
Week 6 - Introduction to Regional Courts: Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Week 7 - The Inter-American Court's Contributions to Rights: Right to a Healthy Environment and Indigenous Rights
Week 8 - Introduction to Regional Courts: The African Court of Human and People's Rights
Week 9 - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): The 'ASEAN Way' and Crisis Diplomacy and Disaster Management
Week 10 - The New Public Health Order for Africa: The AU and Africa CDC's Attempts to Regionalise Public Health Governance
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Research Plan (25%) and Research Paper (75%) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive oral feedback through ongoing structured exercises in-class. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Regional norms in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and how regional bodies shape regional legal and political norms
- The intersection of political and legal norms and their impact on governance, policy, and practice
- The legal innovations from regional courts
- Theories of norm creation and dissemination and how regional actors may have influenced regional and global governance
- Areas of normative innovation by Global South actors and how these actors may have impacted policies and practice in other regions and globally
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will develop the necessary skills to:
- Demonstrate critical analytical ability and independence;
- Assess the credibility of sources of information;
- Understand debates from multiple perspectives whilst forming their own arguments based on evidence.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kathryn Nash
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: Kathryn.Nash@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Emma Hughes
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: Emma.Hughes@ed.ac.uk |
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