Identifying Data 2022/23
Subject (*) Ethics of Globalization and Human Rights Code 710G05007
Study programme
Grao en Relacións Internacionais
Descriptors Cycle Period Year Type Credits
Graduate 2nd four-month period
 First Basic training 6
Language
English
Teaching method Hybrid
Prerequisites
Department Humanidades
Coordinador
Seoane Rodriguez, Jose Antonio
 E-mail
jose.antonio.seoane@udc.es
Lecturers
Crego Blanco, Jorge
Seoane Rodriguez, Jose Antonio
 E-mail
jorge.crego@udc.es
jose.antonio.seoane@udc.es
Web
General description A experiencia moral e a pregunta polo bo, o xusto, o debido ou a felicidade son consubstanciais á realidade humana desde os seus inicios. O intento de responder a estas preguntas para comprender a dimensión moral da persoa e dar razón ou xustificar o fenómeno moral corresponde a unha rama da Filosofía que se denomina Ética. A Ética é un tipo de saber práctico e normativo que orienta as decisións e accións dos seres humanos para conducir a súa vida de forma boa e xusta. Con todo, o significado do ben, a xustiza e o deber non é unívoco e recibiu distintas respostas ao longo da historia por parte de distintos sistemas morais.
Así sucede nas nosas sociedades plurais, onde a globalización intensificou as relacións e interaccións máis aló das fronteiras nacionais e ten orixinado debates éticos sobre os beneficios e custos deste proceso; a súa influencia na liberdade, a igualdade ou a xustiza; as súas consecuencias no medio ambiente, as condicións laborais, as formas tradicionais de vida ou as xeracións futuras; ou o equilibrio entre universalismo e particularismo.
Neste contexto, a Ética debe facilitar a cooperación e o diálogo entre as diferentes tradicións e concepcións éticas para definir unha medida ou criterio universalmente válido compatible con estas tradicións; é dicir, un marco ético común do xusto e o debido. Quizá a proposta de criterio ético universal que máis apoio recibiu é precisamente a dos dereitos humanos.
A idea dos dereitos humanos foise desenvolvendo ao longo dos séculos, desde as primeiras manifestacións teóricas no estoicismo clásico e o pensamento moderno ata o seu plasmación na Declaración Universal dos Dereitos Humanos, coa que se consolida a institucionalización dos dereitos humanos no ámbito internacional.
Para un achegamento introdutorio aos dereitos humanos resulta fundamental afrontar as seguintes cuestións: cal é a orixe e desenvolvemento da idea dos dereitos humanos?; a que se refire o termo “dereitos humanos” e como se distingue doutros conceptos análogos?; como se clasifican os dereitos humanos?; que características esenciais definen aos dereitos humanos?; que institucións internacionais relaciónanse cos dereitos humanos? As respostas a estas preguntas ofrecerán unha descrición xeral da idea dos dereitos humanos que servirán para situar as conexións entre dereitos humanos e globalización.
Un dos caracteres xeralmente asociados aos dereitos humanos é o seu carácter universal. Este carácter é tamén distintivo da globalización, entendida como proceso de afianzamento dunha condición social na que avanza a interconexión global e se desdibujan as fronteiras e límites. As influencias recíprocas entre globalización e dereitos humanos aséntanse por tanto nesta pretensión de extensión global de ambas ideas. Algúns dos principais debates contemporáneos relativos aos dereitos humanos están intimamente relacionados coa globalización. Entre eles cabe sinalar o problema da responsabilidade dos estados por violacións de dereitos máis aló dos seus territorios, a responsabilidade de entidades multinacionais, o rol das ONG internacionais na promoción de certos dereitos humanos, a consideración da axenda de dereitos humanos como unha proposta etnocéntrica, a necesidade de protexer o medioambiente desde unha perspectiva global e as dificultades para asegurar a devandita protección, etc.

Study programme competencies
Code Study programme competences
A3 CE3 - To know the concepts, theories and techniques applied to the analysis of the actors and international relations, both in the universal and in the regional field, with a perspective both historical and contemporary.
A7 CE7 - To analyze the global reality in its different dimensions, in particular the geographical, political, social, economic and legal.
A10 CE10 - To acquire knowledge of the techniques, working methods and analysis of the humanities, social and legal sciences.
A11 CE11 - To analyze the political, social and economic reality in the framework of international development cooperation.
B2 CB2 - That students know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and have the skills that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of ??study.
B7 CG2 - To acquire the ability to work in an international context.
C4 CT4 - To develop for the exercise of a citizenship respectful with the democratic culture, the human rights and the perspective of gender, in the distinct fields of knowledge and in the professional practice, with the aim to achieve a more just and egalitarian society.

Learning aims
Learning outcomes Study programme competences
Know the main ethical, legal and political responses to globalization A3
A7
A11
Understand the relevance of ethics in human life and relations A7
A11
 C4
Understand the meaning and characteristics of human rights A3
A7
A11
 C4
Identify and analyze global justice issues A7
A10
A11
 B2
B7
 C4
Develop argumentative skills to critically analyze ethical, legal and political responses A7
A10
 B2
B7
 C4
Understand the general theoretical framework of moral and political philosophy through its basic concepts A3
A7
A11
 C4
Analyze the ethical, political and legal meaning of the values underlying some social problems, mainly related to equality and justice, from the perspective of a globalized world A7
A10
A11
 B2
B7
 C4
Commit to the construction and development of a democratic citizenship C4

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
I. Ethics of globalization 1. Globalization. Concept and dimensions.
2. Ethics. Basic concepts and elements.
3. Ethics as a normative system. Moral, legal, religious, and social norms.
4. Three normative approaches. Deontological, consequentialist and virtue ethics.
5. The globalization of ethics. A two-level model.
II. Globalization and human rights 1. Historical approach to the origin and development of human rights.
2. The concept of human rights.
3. The typology of human rights: the generations of rights.
4. The elements of human rights.
5. The institutionalization of human rights.
III. Seminars 1. Global ethics and justice
2. Global issues of human rights

Planning
Methodologies / tests Competencies Ordinary class hours Student’s personal work hours Total hours
Workshop A7 A10 A11 B2 B7 C4 12 24 36
Oral presentation A7 A10 A11 B2 C4 8 8 16
Long answer / essay questions A3 A7 A11 C4 8 24 32
Objective test A3 A7 A11 2 8 10
Guest lecture / keynote speech A3 A7 A11 B7 16 16 32
Document analysis A3 A7 A10 A11 7 13 20
 
Personalized attention 4 0 4
 
(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies
Methodologies Description
Workshop Collaborative work intended to select, understand and critically apply relevant knowledge to specific issues and cases, as well to develop argumentative skills.
Oral presentation Activity oriented to acquire and strengthen oral argumentative skills
Long answer / essay questions Activity oriented to get methodological competence to work with bibliographical and normative sources, as well to develop written argumentative skills.
Objective test Activity that aims to assess the knowledge and understanding of the main concepts and issues delivered through the course
Guest lecture / keynote speech Explanation and assessment of the main concepts, elements and issues related to the course, identifying the relations among the different contents
Document analysis Detailed reading and assessment of the main bibliographical and normative documents mentioned in the lectures or used in the workshops

Personalized attention
Methodologies
Document analysis
Workshop
Oral presentation
Long answer / essay questions
Description
Advise on the selection and assessment of bibliographical and normative sources.
Advise on the selection of workshop issues.
Advise on the structure and pace of oral presentations.
Advise on the structure and style of written activities.

Assessment
Methodologies Competencies Description Qualification
Objective test A3 A7 A11 Assessment of the knowledge and understanding of the contents of the guest lectures/keynote speeches and the document analysis 40
Oral presentation A7 A10 A11 B2 C4 Assessment of the ability to select, understand, analyze and communicate relevant information based on bibliographical and normative sources.
Assessment of the oral argumentative skills. 		40
Long answer / essay questions A3 A7 A11 C4 Final essay about one of the topics of the course, intended to assess knowledge, critical sense and written argumentative skills 20
 
Assessment comments

1. Assessment of the 2nd opportunity

The student can keep the grade obtained in the assessment activities if it is equal or higher than a passing grade in each activity (2 points or more for oral presentations, 1 point or more for essays, and 2 points or more for the objective test). In case of a falling grade (less than 2, 1 or 2, respectively), the student can follow the modality for students with acknowledge part-time dedication and exemption from class attendance (cf. section 3).

2. Plagiarism or academic fraud
Student fraudulent behavior in the assessment activities, and particularly plagiarism, will result in a grade of 0 (falling grade) in the correspondent opportunity.

3. Assessment criteria for students with acknowledge part-time dedication and exemption from class attendance
The objective test (40%) has the same conditions as for the rest of the students.
The long answer/essay questions (20%) has the same conditions as for the rest of the students.
The oral presentation (40%) consists of the delivery of a paper and a brief oral comment before the professor scheduled before the date of the objective test. 

Sources of information
Basic Brysk, A (ed) (2002). Globalization and human rights. Berkeley, London: University of California Press
Steger, MB (2020). Globalization. A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Griffin, J (2008). On human rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Singer, P (2016). One world now: the ethics of globalization. New Haven: Yale University Press
Joseph, S; McBeth, A (ed.) (2010). Research handbook on international human rights law. Cheltenham, Northampton: Edward Elgar
LaFollette H; Persson, I (ed.) (2013). The Blackwell guide to ethical theory. Malden, MA-Oxford: Wiley Blackwell
Sullivan, WM; Kymlicka, W (ed.) (2007). The ethics of globalization. New York: Cambridge University Press
Ishay, MR (2008). The history of human rights. Berkeley: University of California Press

Complementary


Recommendations
Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before

Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously

Subjects that continue the syllabus

Other comments


(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.