Human Rights
If you're passionate about justice and equality, this major is for you. Gain a deep understanding of human rights issues, discrimination, inclusion, and justice, all while preparing for a career dedicated to making a difference.
Human rights are an increasingly prominent aspect of contemporary issues here and around the world. Current examples include systemic racism, equitable access to healthcare, the voting age, #MeToo, modern slavery, asylum seeking, climate justice, reproductive rights and inclusive education. These concerns are anchored in the present and their resolution focuses on the future.
This major crosses the boundaries of traditional university subjects to prepare you for employment in government agencies and private companies in sectors like health, law, housing, immigration, education and social welfare. Work for NGOs like the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders and Amnesty International.
A major in Human Rights pairs well with many other majors the University offers, especially in the fields of Law, Management and Social Sciences, to provide you with further employment pathways.
Key information
| Study Location: | Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Area of Study: |
Study Human Rights in these qualifications
Study Human Rights as a specialisation of
Career opportunities
- Corporate social responsibilty officer
- Immigration consultant
- Human rights lawyer
- Human resources officer
- Policy analyst
- Disability & inclusion advocate
Papers
Available Human Rights papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| GNSEX101 | Gender and Sexuality: Representations and Realities | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| This paper considers issues related to gender, sexuality, and the body including health issues, media representations, gender based violence, and forms of resistance. | |||
| HUMRI100 | Human Rights Foundations | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| In this paper we discuss the foundations of the modern Human Rights regime, and address important controversies for Human Rights, including, accusations of Western-Centrism; protections for gender and sexuality; and issues of self-determination. | |||
| IRSST103 | Introduction to International Relations | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| This paper provides an introduction to the study of international relations in an era of globalisation. It covers the historical background, key concepts and theories, case studies, and contemporary developments in the study of world politics. | |||
| MAORI150 | Te Tiriti o Waitangi: An Introduction to the Treaty of Waitangi | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24B (Hamilton), 24I (Hamilton) & 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper seeks to provide a sound understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It reviews historical and contemporary interpretations and takes into account the interplay of contextual issues of the time. | |||
| PHILO106 | Social and Moral Philosophy | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| An investigation of contemporary moral and social issues from a practical ethics perspective. Issues may include abortion, animal welfare, discrimination, euthanasia, freedom of speech, genetic enhancement, privacy, punishment, and your online life. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTHY208 | Protest Movements in the Asia-Pacific | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper is about how people across the Asia-Pacific region act collectively to challenge the status quo of powerful political, social, economic, and cultural systems. | |||
| GEOGY209 | Health, People, Place | 0.0 | 24B (Online) |
| This paper draws on critical analysis of health, people and place to introduce contemporary developments in socio-cultural geography. Attention is paid to spatial well-being at a range of scales. | |||
| MAORI200 | Mana Wahine | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines foundational aspects of mana wahine scholarship, the impact of colonisation on Maori and Indigenous women, and the resistant spaces negotiated by Maori women including their contributions to decolonisation. | |||
| MAORI203 | Decolonising Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| The paper looks at the detrimental effects that research has historically had on Indigenous peoples and the relatively recent creation of research methodologies by Indigenous peoples to counteract Imperial research, and to empower and decolonise. | |||
| POLCY212 | Public Policy Analysis | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to public policy analysis. Students focus on the role of politics, public participation and policy in addressing society's big problems, how they are framed and defined, and how solutions are developed and implemented within the context of the policy process. | |||
| POLSC224 | Terrorism, Violence and the State | 15.0 | No occurrences |
| Terrorism is an increasingly prominent global phenomenon. We will clarify it conceptually and situate it historically with theory and case studies in situating it in comparative political and International Relations analysis. | |||
| SOCIO201 | 21st Century Activism and Radical Thought | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will offer insight into the historical legacies of systemic racism, sexism and class oppression by taking an in-depth look at key issues raised in 20th century social movements in New Zealand and the United States and mapping those issues into the 21st century. | |||
| SOCPY202 | Addressing Precarity: A Global Perspective | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Online) |
| This paper considers human precarity: past, present and future. The focus is on its contemporary forms under global market competition, and ways to make a more secure world in the future. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECONS304 | International Economics Issues | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper covers in-depth analysis of the global economic environment, including international trade, access to markets and cross-border movement of factors of production including capital and labour. | |||
| GEOGY309 | Social and Cultural Geographies of Difference | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| This paper is a forum for debate in critical geographies of difference. Key concerns are intersections between gender, ethnicity, nationality and other social divisions in relation to place and environment. | |||
| GNSEX303 | Intersectionalities: Identities and Inequalities | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides a comprehensive review of the historical context for understanding contemporary issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social class. It investigates micro and macro level experiences and the social construction of identities. In doing so, this paper looks at how power is distributed in society, the theories that... | |||
| HISTY302 | Blood, Land, DNA: Contemporary Indigenous Histories and Archives | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores critical questions about power, sovereignty, and belonging in contemporary Indigenous history, focusing on Aotearoa, the Pacific, and North America. Students will work with diverse archival sources to develop independent research questions. | |||
| HMDEV320 | Disability, Diversity and Inclusion: Intersecting Identities and Experiences | 15.0 | 24B (Online) |
| This paper looks at the emergence of disability as a social and political identity. Using a rights perspective, it critiques inclusion in the spaces and places of everyday civic society. | |||
| MAORI304 | Sustainability in Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Contexts | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper looks at Indigenous epistemological formations of sustainability as one of the most pressing issues for Indigenous peoples particularly in the Pacific, and also as a concept where Indigenous peoples can be prominent in influencing discourses. | |||
| POPST305 | Migration, Mobilities and Displacement | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| An examination of contemporary international migration with a particular focus on the drivers of migration, the social and structural forces that influence migration and the implications of different modes of governance. | |||
| PSYCH302 | Community, Culture and Diversity | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| The focus of this paper is the study of social justice, intersectionality, transformative interventions, and social change strategies that are central to community, indigenous and liberation psychologies. Issues covered include inequalities, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class and (dis)ability. Key considerations are the broader co... | |||
400 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEGAL440 | Pacific Peoples and the Law | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| A critical study and comparison of legal systems and issues within the Pacific Region. | |||
| LEGAL442 | Human Rights Law | 15.0 | 24G (Hamilton) & 24G (Tauranga) |
| An introduction to the laws governing the protection of human rights both at the national and international level. Students will explore the framework of human rights protection and the enforcement mechanisms. | |||
| LEGAL469 | International Indigenous Rights | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| A detailed examination of law relating to the historical and developing space in international law of the rights of indigenous peoples, including the influence of the state on this process together with the coinciding indigenous rights to development, education, environmental and economic rights. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Contacts
School of Social Sciences
Phone: 0800 800 145
General Enquiries: [email protected]