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Priority given to human rights studies HRSMA students. Open to 3rd and 4th year undergraduates on first day of term.

This course will focus on both the theories surrounding, and practices of, children's rights. It will start from the foundational question of whether children should be treated as rights-holders and whether this approach is more effective than alternatives for promoting children's well-being. Consideration will be given to the major conceptual and developmental issues embedded within the framework of rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The course will cover issues in both the domestic and international arenas, including but not limited to: children's rights in the criminal justice; children's rights to housing and health care; inequities in education systems; child labor; children and armed conflict; street children; the rights of migrant, refugee, homeless, and minority children; and the commodification of children. Case studies will be used to ensure that students have a solid understanding of current conditions. The course will also explore the US ratification of the CRC and offer critical perspectives on the advocacy and education-based work of international children's rights organizations.