Course for international guest/part time students

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences

Organization

TÁTK Department of European Studies

Code

IRM13

Title

Equality

Usual semester

Spring

ECTS

4

Language

en

Description

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Learning outcomes

2. Course Description  The first part of the lectures provides insight into overarching issues, such as the abundance of legal norms and the understanding of the principle of non-discrimination, as well as pertinent social theory. It then delves into current debates concerning different grounds of discrimination and protected groups, and application of equality law in practice. Topics include intersectional discrimination, formal v substantive equality, different types of racism, framing, regional and universal equal rights instruments, pinkwashing and the collision of fundamental rights with the right to equal treatment. The seminar incorporates key case law from the ECtHR, CJEU and UN treaty bodies.  This seminar is designed to offer academic literacy on equality standards in the UN, and the regional systems that implement them. It has both theoretical and practical dimensions, with an emphasis on current issues within and beyond Europe.  Liberal democracies are committed to equal treatment and the right to non-discrimination throughout their activities, policies, laws etc. The lectures aim to provide students with a thorough understanding of the key role equality plays in liberal democracies, the promises and failures of legal regimes and the criticism levelled against them in theory and practice. It contends that substantive equality can best be achieved through policies.

Course content

3. Learning Objectives At the end of this seminar, students should be able to: In terms of knowledge: 1. Demonstrate their understanding of the principle and right to equal treatment in analysing international documents, interpreting case law and addressing concrete cases; 2. Demonstrate their knowledge of the substantive equality norms developed at the UN and the Council of Europe,as well as the range of bodies that are involved in the development, and supervision of these norms, when evaluating the contribution of these international organisations to the equal treatment and non-discrimination paradigm; 3. Show their understanding of mainstream and critical perspectives on EU anti-discrimination law; 4. Demonstrate their understanding of the relation and interrelation between the two European international organisations that take part in the construction and development of the European legal regimes on equality; In terms of skills 5. Develop sound arguments, and structure these logically and coherently when preparing a presentation and/or debate intervention, and order these strategically to strengthen the position of the marginalised group they speak for; 6. Demonstrate effective oral presentation skills. In terms of attitudes, students should develop 7. critical attitudes, also in relation to existing treaties –declarations or other normative documents, and also in relation to judgments by prestigious courts; 8. sensibility towards the ethical dimensions of different aspects regarding the effective enjoyment of equal rights, and what can reasonably be expected from the respective duty bearers; 9. an open attitude towards inter-cultural debate.

Assessment method

5. Assessment Students must actively participate in class debate. Activity during class amounts to 25% of your mark, submitting the mandatory assignments (altogether 4) based on the mandatory reading and submitted no later than 36 hours before class to 25 %, and a short end of term paper based on your selected topic and assigned or individually selected reading to 50%. The written assignments must show familiarity with the reading, they cannot therefore be too general and cannot be repeated across mandatory readings. In order to receive the best mark, 5 (excellent) you must share these assignments in advance and address them in class. Papers must include the thesis and main arguments of the reading and connect the hypothesis as well as the authors’ arguments to topical debates, judgments or affairs. Students may focus on a particular case or argument, explaining why they chose to do so. Please upload your paper to Teams by the end of the course. You cannot pass this course without submitting the mandatory assignments and the end of term paper, 1500-2000 words. The mark for this course is determined on the basis of performance as follows: 5, 90% and above. 4, 75% and above. 3, 65% and above. 2 (pass), 50% and above. 1 (fail), below 50%. 6. Attendance Policy Participation in class meetings is mandatory, except in case of a medical emergency and sickness. Students can be absent up to maximum 3 classes, failing that, they will receive a fail. Participation implies that students are on time. Provision of a signed medical note is required, and notice must be given prior to the deadline.

Bibliography

7. Detailed session by session description and reading materials Class 1–Introduction Personal details, academic background, expectations 1. In your view, what is the biggest challenge in Europe and the world as concerns equal treatment? 2. What do you want to take away from this class? 3. Which topic would you like to address in your paper? Pls choose from the syllabus! In case your interest is not covered, it can be reasonably accommodated. You will (self-) evaluate at the end of the course by revisiting these questions and answering them again at the end of the semester. Students will also select the topic on which they submit a short paper of 1500-2000 words at the end of the course. Class 2 – Stereotypes, prejudices, bias and stigma Mandatory reading: Duckitt, J. (2010). Historical overview. In J. F. Dovidio, M. Hewstone, P. S. Glick, V. M. Esses, & J. F. Dovidio (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping and Discrimination (pp. 29–44). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publ.; SAGE. Focus on the historical trajectory depicted in the table! Mia Adessa Towbin , Shelley A. Haddock , Toni Schindler Zimmerman , Lori K. Lund & Litsa Renee Tanner (2004) Images of Gender, Race, Age, and Sexual Orientation in Disney Feature-Length Animated Films, Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 15:4, 19-44, DOI: 10.1300/J086v15n04_02 read pp. 28-40! Additional materials: I've lived as a man & a woman --here's what I learned

Programmes of the course