Studiegids

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Minority Rights

Vak
2024-2025

This course is earmarked for PTLJ, IP, DR, NP

Description

Should national minorities be granted territorial autonomy? Can a minority language be recognized as an official language in a given state? Do religious groups have a right to be accommodated in the public domain? Questions such as these are subject to the heated debate about the existence and content of minority rights. Defenders of minority rights hold that members of minorities are disadvantaged and excluded based on their membership in particular groups, and for this reason, they should be granted a special set of rights. The critics object that the minority’s claims can be met through the standard set of individual rights equal for all citizens. The debate ultimately boils down to the question of the most adequate model of citizenship in contemporary pluralistic societies. While traditional liberal approaches define citizenship as the identical set of rights granted to all citizens, the defenders of minority rights typically argue in favor of more differentiated citizenship (i.e. one that grants different rights to members of distinct groups).
In this course, we will engage with the debate by examining the justification, recognition and protection of minority rights. We will start by revisiting the long-standing debate about the justification of minority rights. In this part, we will attempt to answer some of the fundamental questions such as what is the significance of cultural affiliation for a person’s identity and autonomy? Can groups bear rights, and if yes, what the implications for the individual rights of their members are? In the second part of the course, we will move to discuss minority rights claimed by different types of minority groups. To make our task more manageable, we will focus on national and ethnic minorities, indigenous people and immigrants. In the last part of the course, we will examine various issues that the heterogeneity of minority groups can raise for claiming minority rights.

Course objectives

Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • Distinguish between descriptive and normative claims concerning minority rights;

  • Reconstruct and critically evaluate the main theoretical positions on minority rights;

  • Identify and evaluate existing minority claims of their choice in terms of these theoretical positions;

  • Construct their arguments in oral and written form.

Mode of instruction

The course is taught in seminar form, combining short lectures and class discussions in plenary and small groups. Since this is a discussion-based seminar, students are expected to attend seminars and actively participate in class discussions.

Assessment method

Assessment, grading method (in percentages), compensation and re-exams. Do check the programme plan.
Please specify as clear as possible the calculation method of the final grade, this saves a lot of time of the Board of Examiners.
Specify the format of each exam component, the weighting and the grading method.
To complete the final grade, please take notice of the following:
1) the final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average
2) the final grade for the course is established by (i) determination of the weighted average combined with (ii) additional requirements. These additional requirements generally relate to one or more of the subtests always be sufficient.
Every partial or component grade has to be 5.5 or higher.
To succeed the weighted mean of two or more partial grades has to be 5,5 or higher. Compensation of partial grades is only possible if the partial grade is less then 30% of the final course grade. Specify the compensation.
Also state if and how there is opportunity to re-take the exam (s). It is an option to combine re-exams.

  • Participation: 20%

  • Mid-term essay: 30%

  • Final paper: 50%

Reading list

The booktitles and / or syllabi to be used in the course, where it can be purchased and how this literature should be studied beforehand. Keep in mind the rules for copyright (Auteursrechteninformatiepunt). The fines are high.

We will mainly use journal articles and book chapters all of which are either open access or can be obtained via the University Library. The syllabus will be published two weeks before the beginning of the course.

Registration

See 'Practical Information'

Timetable

See 'MyTimetable'

Contact

Dr Jelena Belic, j.belic@fsw.leideuniv.nl