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Lasell University
Lasell University

2014 - 2015 Academic Catalog

Human Rights Minor

The Human Rights minor consists of 18 credits, including a Practicum Component for 3 credits. To fulfill the Practicum Component requirement, a student must take 3 Service-Learning or Social Justice Activism linked credits or complete a 3-credit internship. An internship in the major area of study that is focused on Service Learning or Social Justice Activism may be used to fulfill the Practicum Component requirement, or a student may arrange to complete an Internship focused on Service-Learning or Social Justice Activism that is independent of the major, with the approval of the coordinator of the Human Rights minor in the Justice Studies Department. The minor and the practicum component are administered by the Justice Studies department.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
CJ103 Principles of Human Rights 3
HIST105 History of Human Rights 3
PHIL110 Ethics 3
Choose 2 from the following:
CJ303 Domestic Violence 3
CJ309 Children & Violence 3
CJ317 Comparative Justice Systems 3
CJ318 Violence & Aggression 3
CJ319 Victimology 3
CJ323 Justice, Class, Race & Gender 3
ECON103 Economics of Social Issues 3
ENG223 Ethics & Morality in War Literature 3
ENG313 American Multiethnic Literature 3
ENV102 Environmental Ethics & Society 3
ENV303 Environmental Justice 3
HIST203 The History of Women in U.S. 3
HIST204 Recent American History 3
HIST207 African American History 3
HIST208 Sub-Saharan Africa after 1800 3
HIST209 China from 1600 to Present 3
HIST210 Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present 3
HIST211 Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800 3
HIST231 Revolutions & Revolutionary Thought 3
LS320 Philosophy of Law 3
PSYC316 Psychology of Diversity 3
SOC102 Introduction to Women's Studies 3
SOC221 Contemporary Social Problems 3
SOC301 Race & Ethnic Relations 3

Practicum Component (additional core requirement): 3 credits

Of the two additional courses that may be selected, they may not be taken from the same department and one must be at the 300 level.

Special Topics: Course approved by the Justice Studies HR coordinator

Credit Requirements for minor: 18 credits

CJ103 - Principles of Human Rights

This course takes a global perspective defining human rights, reflecting on violations of these rights, considering arguments in support of human rights, and examining various new initiatives designed to protect human rights in different countries in all parts of the world. This course focuses on issues pertaining to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights such as slavery, personal security and equality before the law, freedom of marriage, freedom of assembly, and freedom of movement.

HIST105 - History of Human Rights

This course surveys the complicated history of human rights from its origins to the modern era. Emphasis is on the historical forces, movements, and events, especially in the last three centuries, that have moved this concept from the realm of intellectual theory and conjecture to practical implementation and application. This course may also touch on some of the major philosophical, ethical, and moral questions intertwined with human rights.

PHIL110 - Ethics

This course is an introduction to analysis of conduct, moral reasoning, and the foundation of ethical values in a search for the ultimate meanings of human experience. The following specific problems are examined: life and death issues, human experimentation, sexuality, truth telling in medicine, honesty in business, cheating and lying, stealing and reparation, egoism, obligation, and capital punishment.

CJ303 - Domestic Violence

This course introduces students to the basic concepts of the law relating to domestic violence. In addition the course examines the existence of violence among family members and in relationships in today's society. Topics include child abuse, partner abuse, and elder abuse. Prerequisite: LS 101, CJ 101 or any introductory social science course.

CJ309 - Children & Violence

This course examines the psychological, criminal justice, and legal issues surrounding children who experience violence in their lives, either as victims or perpetrators of violence. Topics include child maltreatment, pedophilia, online child predators, school victimization, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, child sex offenders, and youth homicide. Prerequisite: PSYC 221, PSYC 223, CJ 201, or LS 204.

CJ317 - Comparative Justice Systems

This course analyzes differences in global approaches to law enforcement, criminal procedure, criminal law, corrections, juvenile justice, and prevention. The material provides a worldwide overview of cultural and legal traditions that are related to crime. Through cross-cultural comparisons, the course examines whether due process rights must be sacrificed in order to achieve crime control effectiveness and efficiency. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.

CJ318 - Violence & Aggression

This course investigates and analyzes aggression and violence as forms of individual, group, and societal behavior. It includes an assessment of anthropological, biological, philosophical, political, and sociological theories of violence. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, & ENG102, or Permission of Dept Chair

CJ319 - Victimology

This course presents an overview of the history and theories of victimology. Students analyze victimization patterns with special emphasis on types of victims and crimes. The course also examines the interaction between victims of crime and the criminal justice system, the victim’s rights movement, and services offered to victims of crime. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101.

CJ323 - Justice, Class, Race & Gender

This course explores issues unique to individuals of different classes, gender, and/or races or ethnic groups. The course focuses on these issues specifically in the context of the American criminal justice and legal systems. Issues of diversity relevant to all aspects of the criminal justice system are examined. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, Sophomore standing.

ECON103 - Economics of Social Issues

This course examines a broad range of social issues from an economics perspective. Designed for non-business majors, the course provides an introduction to economic reasoning and to some basic economic concepts which are then used to analyze a variety of social problems. Possible topics include poverty, unemployment, agriculture, discrimination, crime, pollution, education, health care, social security, and third world development. .

ENG223 - Ethics & Morality in War Literature

This course focuses on the role that ethics and morality play in a variety of literary texts. Emphasis is on analysis of characters' decisions and choices that relate to ethical issues as well as to the formation of their ethical codes. Characters' positions relating to ethical systems and the prevailing morality of their society are considered. Literature is selected from diverse genres and traditions. The focus of the course changes each semester. Possible topics include Literature of Human Rights, Prison Writing, Literature and the Environment, and Literature of War. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

ENG313 - American Multiethnic Literature

This course focuses on the history, variety, and aesthetic conventions of one or more racial-ethnic traditions in American writing. Individual courses might focus on key forms or authors; distinct traditions such as African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American literature; or a survey across several traditions. Examples include Barack Obama and the African-American Tradition, Contemporary Latino Literatures, or Haiti and the US in Haitian-American Writing. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: Any 200-level English course.

ENV102 - Environmental Ethics & Society

This course explores issues and problems arising out of ethical considerations related to the general environment and specific ecosystems. Also considered are the moral aspects of population control and resource use. The foundations for beliefs and worldviews regarding nature and the human relationship to it are explored. In addition, the variety of philosophical perspectives and pragmatic choices and actions people take related to environmental ethics are studied.

ENV303 - Environmental Justice

All people should have the right to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. However, access to clean air and water, exposure to excessive noise, and access to natural areas is inequitable in our society. This course explores how racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds influence access to a clean and safe environment. Local, national, and international issues of the environment and social justice are explored. Students engage with local community organizations on projects promoting environmental justice.

HIST203 - The History of Women in U.S.

This course explores the social history of women in the United States, beginning in the colonial period and ending with an examination of twentieth-century issues. Emphasis is on the image of women held during these periods, in contrast to actual conditions. Contributions of women to social change and the growth of women’s movements are also analyzed. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST204 - Recent American History

This course focuses on the presidencies from the Kennedy era to the present. Work is divided roughly into three areas: foreign affairs; domestic politics; and economic, social, and cultural needs. Topics range from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the weakening of Congress and the expansion of the presidency, the women's movement, changes in popular culture, and domestic economic developments. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST207 - African American History

This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; it examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST208 - Sub-Saharan Africa after 1800

This survey of sub-Saharan African history explores the ongoing story of African political, social, and economic developments from the post-transatlantic slave trade period to the present. The course considers the impact of European merchants, missionaries, and adventurers on Africa from the time immediately preceding imperialism and colonialism up through the emergence of nationalism and the decolonization and liberation movements. The new nation-states, their postcolonial economies, and their developing systems of justice, education, and rule are investigated. Finally, topics such as soil erosion, disease, conservation, famine, and Africa’s relationships with the wider world are discussed. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST209 - China from 1600 to Present

This course is a survey of modern Chinese history from the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the seventeenth century to Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the 1990s. Special attention will be paid to modernization, Western and Japanese imperialism in China, and the rise of Communism under Mao Zedong. In addition to learning about important milestones in Chinese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese art, culture, and women's issues through primary sources translated into English. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST210 - Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present

This survey looks at Latin American history from pre-Columbian to contemporary times. Emphasis is on native cultures, the “discovery” of the New World, European presence, colonialism, imperialism, the creation of the peasantry, wars of independence, the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, slavery and racism, development and underdevelopment, the Catholic Church, liberation theology, poverty, and revolution. Major emphasis in South America is on Argentina, Columbia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and the Portuguese-speaking nation of Brazil. The course also examines foreign intervention and inner instability in Mexico, including struggles for democracy, economic rights, and social justice. In the Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, especially with regard to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, land and labor systems, gender relations, race and ethnicity, and varied forms of rule are discussed. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST211 - Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800

This course looks at the Middle East and its relations with the wider world, from the appearance of Napoleon to the present. Topics include attempts at reform and modernization in the Ottoman Empire; the impact of Western imperialism on the region as a whole; and twentieth-century developments in the area, including nationalism, pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism, the cult of the personality, coup, revolution, Zionism, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The economic and social impact of oil, the influence of fundamentalism, and the Great Power rivalry down through the position of the United States toward the area are investigated. The efforts of Iran to gain acceptance in/by the contemporary world are examined, as is the shifting attitude of Egypt toward modernity. Finally, connections between the region and the rest of the Islamic world are explored. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100-level history course or ENG 102.

HIST231 - Revolutions & Revolutionary Thought

This course provides an analysis of many types, facets, and styles of revolution, including political, cultural, and scientific meanings of the concept. The readings are taken from literature as well as from history and the social sciences. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

LS320 - Philosophy of Law

This course explores selected philosophical issues in law. Topics include human and civil rights, personal autonomy and the right of the state to regulate conduct, the extent to which an individual’s rights should be sacrificed for the common good, and other concepts of justice.

PSYC316 - Psychology of Diversity

This course explores diversity and its relation to identity, relationship, and power. Areas of diversity that may be a focus of the course include race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, disabilities, aging and/or health status. Students study diversity on micro, meso and macro levels including perspectives on individual and group identity, prejudice and discrimination, and psychological well-being. Students are challenged to explore their own identities and the assumptions they make about various forms of diversity. Prerequisites: Any 200 level Social Science course.

SOC102 - Introduction to Women's Studies

This course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for examining feminist thought and gender-related behaviors. Utilizing sociology, anthropology, history, and literature the course examines the roles and stereotypes society ascribes to women and how those roles impact the development of a feminist perspective in a contemporary world.

SOC221 - Contemporary Social Problems

This course examines conditions and issues that result in tension and disorder. Examples drawn primarily from American society include: labeling and social control of deviants, oppression of minorities, poverty, violence, ageism, and ecological concerns. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

SOC301 - Race & Ethnic Relations

This course examines the changing nature of race and ethnic relations with primary emphasis on the United States. Topics include: the origins and consequences of racial/ethnic discriminations; immigration policies; movements for integration and separatism; the role of class, religion, and gender on issues of race/ethnicity; the impact of widely differing cultural heritages on our national life: and specific present day problems and trends. Prerequisite: Any 200 level Social Science course.