Visa svensk kursplan

SYLLABUS

Children at Risk and Children’s Rights, 10 ECTS Credits

COURSE CATEGORY   Master´s Programme in Child Studies MAIN FIELD OF STUDY   Child studies - BRA SUBJECT AREA     COURSE CODE   736A14

AIM OF THE COURSE

Having completed the course, the student will be able to - account for the ways, in which concepts such as risk and rights in relation to children are related to specific cultural and historical contexts, - discuss and to analyse the various meanings that the concept of children’s rights can be and is given in different contexts and documents, - identify different political standpoints, as well as philosophical and theoretical perspectives in relation to children’s rights and the best interest of the child, - identify and describe the processes, through which certain phenomena come to be regarded as risks to children, - gain an understanding of concepts such as children’s rights as complex and its meaning as contestable, hereby students will also be better prepared to formulate distinct arguments for the protection of children’s rights.

CONTENTS

The course comprises two parts. In the first part of the course, focus is put on the history and the idea of children’s rights, in which the seemingly universal concept of children’s rights will be problemised. The course will address the relationship between the rights of children, parents and minority groups as well as the role of nation states as guarantors of children’s rights. Different perspectives in relation to rights and risks and their implications for policy decisions will be illustrated and analysed. Of particular importance in this respect are the implications of a children’s perspective. In lectures and course literature students will be confronted with different views on children’s rights, best interests, needs, voices, advocacy and empowerment and the practices they imply. In the second part of the course, students will deepen their understanding of the concept of children’s rights by specializing in one particular aspect of this theme.

TEACHING

The instruction methods will include lectures for overviews of the readings combined with teacher lead seminars and discussions on the Internet as well as individual comments on written assignments. Guiding students in searching and finding relevant literature is also part of the instruction methods of this course. The Internet based format of the course requires a high degree of self-activity from students. Students will be expected to take an active part in their learning experience and to be able to work independently as well as in pairs or groups with other students. Language of instruction: English.

EXAMINATION

Each course module is concluded with a compulsory assignment. Each of these assignments must be completed and approved before students can receive their credits for the course. The assignment forms of this course include written essays, reviews of literature, oppositions of the work of other students and considerations of particular course related questions in a discussion forum. As a final examination, students will be required to write a longer essay on a specific aspect of the course theme. Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course two times are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination. Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A bachelor’s degree (kandidatexamen) of at least 180 ECTS credits, including a 15 ECTS credit degree paper or equivalent, and 1. In-depth studies of at least one year in a field relevant to the programme, including a degree thesis or final paper (equivalent). Relevant fields for in-depth studies are anthropology, education, history, communication studies, language studies, psychology, sociology and political science. 2. Documented knowledge of English equivalent to "Engelska B"; i.e. English as native language or an internationally recognized test, e.g. TOEFL (minimum scores: Paperbased 550 + TWE-score 4.0, computorbased 213 and internetbased 79), IELTS, academic (minimum score: Overall band 6.0 and no band under 5.0), or equivalent.

GRADING

The course is graded according to the ECTS grading scale A-F

CERTIFICATE

Course certificate is issued by the Faculty Board on request. The Department provides a special form which should be submitted to the Student Affairs Division.

COURSE LITERATURE

The course literature is decided upon by the department in question.

OTHER INFORMATION

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Children at Risk and Children’s Rights Children at Risk and Children’s Rights,   Department responsible for the course or equivalent: TEMA - The Tema Institute             Registrar No: 1322/06-41   Course Code: 736A14           Exam codes: see Local Computer System       Subject/Subject Area : Child studies - BRA                       Level   Education level     Subject Area Code   Field of Education   A1X   Advanced level     BRA   SA   The syllabus was approved by the Board of Faculty of Arts and Science 2008-09-10