POS 343-99 (Honors) Spring 2009

Crossnational Approaches to Urban Human Rights Issues:

State Torture and Accountability in Chicago and London

Syllabus

Dr. Bethany Barratt, Associate Professor of Political Science

Director, Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project (http://www.roosevelt.edu/loundy/)

bbarratt@roosevelt.edu - http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/barratt/

Director of Social Justice Programs, Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation

Office Location and Hours

• Downtown - AUD 742: Spring Office Hours 1230-2 pm.
• Phone Number: (312) 341 3768 (office/voice mail).

Class Meeting Times: Thursday 2-430. But see also London itinerary and specific times for each meeting noted below.

Class Location: AUD 811.

Course Description

How are universal principles of human rights applied in different political and cultural contexts? We can only learn the unique challenges and opportunities presented by our own political context when we view it in perspective. This course, therefore, places Chicago’s own social justice challenges, particularly those of the right to personal integrity, in a crossnational perspective. We will analyze the way crucial human rights are being protected and promoted both here and abroad.

In this course, we will

1. identify the aspects of particular national and urban settings that led to the problems taking their present form
2. enumerate the solutions each level of government has taken to these problems, and how effective these solutions have been
3. learn firsthand from community leaders what alternate approaches have been attempted
4. enumerate proposed solutions that have not been pursued
5. identify achievable goals, either on the basis of existing proposals, or of our own design
6. travel abroad to study the nature of those problems abroad, and the solutions that have been proposed
7. on the basis of our comparative studies, create comprehensive action plans to meet our goals

Class members will also have the opportunity to apply for funded internships after the conclusion of the course, to work with community partners to implement their recommendations.

The course will engage participants in local-level investigations of global political and social trends.  Their work will also provide them the opportunity to conduct original research and potentially even establish a record of publication while still undergraduates, and to see firsthand the policy recommendations and changes that can come about as a result of our studies.  The act of documenting human rights abuses in Chicago demonstrates the proximity of human rights abuses. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, experiential learning breaks through the what might be called ‘compassion fatigue’.  In this way, our experiences instantiate the concept that social justice must be pursued in every area of human interaction.

Summary of activities

Students will be immersed in the urban life and challenges of two cities. Chicago and London are two cities whose modern economic and political development has been driven fundamentally by patterns of immigration.   They differ in important ways as well, though, since Britain’s human rights framework must adhere to the standards of the European Human Rights Act.  

Evaluation methods

Course Policies and Assignment Descriptions/Requirements.

Course Website: http://roosevelt.blackboard.com/.

The syllabus, course announcements, and many course documents will be posted on this site.  The course website will be used for research links and links to supplemental reading materials, archiving of lecture materials, and other purposes as we decide over the course of the semester. If you have not used Blackboard before, we will walk through it at the first meeting of class.

Course Participation Expectations

You are expected to be in class on time, prepared to discuss the assigned readings, to discuss the key questions of the week, and to participate in all field trips.  During class we expect that all cell phones, PDAs, Blackberrys, etc. will be on either “silent,” or if need be, “vibrate” mode.  If you are awaiting an important call, let me know in advance, and please leave the room for the conversation.  I expect that this would only be a rare event.  Excessive absences, late arrival, early departure, repeated use of cell phone in class (including ringing and texting), and other disruptions will adversely impact the class participation component of your grade. 

I will also be distributing thought questions for the following week’s readings at each class period. Each week, you must choose one thought question to address in a well-considered paragraph and email it to me by noon on the day of class.  These will be an important part of our in-class discussion, and are each worth two points toward your overall participation grade.

Current Events Requirement

Students are expected to keep up with current local developments related to the course issues area. Some links to relevant news sources will be provided from the course website.

Presentations

Class participants will do one (1) presentation and lead a 20-30 minute discussion during class, on a subject raised by the readings. Class members should select a week/topic by the third meeting of class.   There are no presentations on field trip days. We will aim for a relatively even distribution of presentations across dates, and topics/dates will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Presentations will be evaluated based on:

• Analysis and synthesis of course materials (40%)
• Innovation (20%)
• Use of outside materials (20%)
• Presentation style (making eye contact, having material memorized, having clear slides if doing PowerPoint, etc) (20%)

Background and Policy Papers

The background and policy papers, which may focus on any aspect of the issue that interests you (with instructor approval!) will proceed in three stages.

1. Chicago background paper  (approx. 3000 words) will:
1. identify the aspects of particular national and urban settings that led to the problems taking their present form
2. enumerate the solutions each level of government has taken to these problems, and how effective these solutions have been
3. summarize, based on meetings with community leaders and/or site visits,  what alternate approaches have been attempted
4. enumerate proposed solutions that have not been pursued

1. Similarly, London background paper (approx. 3000 words) will :
1. identify the aspects of particular national and urban settings that led to the problems taking their present form
2. enumerate the solutions each level of government has taken to these problems, and how effective these solutions have been
3. summarize, based on meetings with community leaders and/or site visits,  what alternate approaches have been attempted
4. enumerate proposed solutions that have not been pursued

1. Comparative policy recommendations paper (6-8000 words) will:
1. Discuss most important similarities and differences between the two locales regarding, at both the national and local level

•  Legal responsibilities of law enforcement
• Historical and current trends in abuses
• Public awareness and opinion of abuses
• Trends in abuses regarding class, race, national origin, political orientation, religion, and other trends we deem relevant
• Remedies that have been proposed or attempted by government
• Remedies that have been proposed or attempted by civil society

1. identify achievable goals that have not been attempted
2. consider reasons they have not been attempted
3. on the basis of our comparative studies, create comprehensive action plans to meet our goals

Working together in groups is encouraged. Paper assignments from groups will be expected to be proportionately longer. If you wish to work in a group, make an appointment to meet with Dr. Barratt to discuss the specifics.

Writing Center

The Roosevelt University Writing Center provides one-on-one peer tutoring to all writers in the university community.  It would be wise to schedule appointments early on in the semester if you have any writing/research problems, or areas you want to improve upon. Appointments are available by phone, e-mail, or in person. The Writing Center is located in AUD 650, and is open Monday – Thursday 1:00pm – 7:00pm. You can call them at X7141.  On-line tutoring is also available. For more information: http://www.roosevelt.edu/writingcenter/

Late Policy/Plagiarism

Without a valid medical or other excuse or prior permission of instructor, late assignments will be penalized 3 points (on a 100 point scale) for each 24 hour period the paper is late, and 5 points for each 24 hour period after 48 hours.  Students are required to review Roosevelt University policies on plagiarism and will be held to standards of scholarship outlined in these policies.  If plagiarism is detected, the student will be reported as specified in the Roosevelt University plagiarism policy, and will receive an F in the class. 

Academic Dishonesty

Acts of academic dishonesty violate the spirit of the University.  Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously at Roosevelt University, with consequences ranging from failing the assignment or the course, to being expelled by the university.

Roosevelt University students are responsible for following the “Code of Student Conduct,” which is available at this url: http://www.roosevelt.edu/current/judicial/code.htm.

Accommodation of Persons with Disabilities

Students with disabilities or other conditions that require special accommodations are encouraged to identify themselves to the instructor and/or to the Academic Success Center/Office of Disability Services at 312 341-3810, so that appropriate accommodation may be made.

Course Schedule and Credit Hours

Overall structure of course: The first seven meetings of the course include alternating lectures and field trips. We explore each of the course’s key themes in the context of Chicago in a lecture, followed the subsequent meeting by a field trip to a site which illustrates this theme.

The 75 hours of course time allocated to a 6 unit course includes both class time and site visits in both cities.

Our days in London will include: brief preliminary remarks that link the field trip site with the relevant preparatory lecture we had in Chicago, the site visit itself, and then brief concluding/debriefing discussion. 

Course texts.

To be distributed in class. They include, in order:

• Developing Government Accountability to the People (2007) A Report Card for Chicago
• John Conroy (2006) Unspeakable Acts, Ordinary People: The Dynamics of Torture.
• United Nations Convention on Torture
• People’s Law Office (2007), “A Report on the Failure of Special Prosecutors Edward J Egan and Robert D Boyle to Fairly Investigate Police Torture in Chicago”
• Rob Mawby and Alan Wright (2005) Police Accountability in the UK

Working Course Schedule and Itinerary

Travel Requirements.

CRITICAL: Passports
You must either already have, or w/in the first week of class produce proof of application in order to have a passport no later than  Feb 15, 2009 to ensure ability to travel legally to the United Kingdom.  Non-US citizens should also check on additional visa/entry requirements depending on your country of citizenship.

Travel Advisories

There are currently no travel advisories for the United Kingdom, but students should consult the Department of State and Centers for Disease Control throughout the course. Professors will also be very aware of any changes in the security situation that may alter elements of the course accordingly.

This class will be an organic product of our experiences and interests. I reserve the right to make revisions in the syllabus if necessary or pedagogically beneficial. You will receive notice of all changes.

Some readings TBA pending recommendations from our outside experts and community leaders.