Each student will write a health issue report of approximately 5 pages (750-1000

Each student will write a health issue report of approximately 5
pages (750-1000 words.) You may choose any issue related to health
(defined very broadly), and will analyze the role of human rights
regarding this issue. This assignment asks you to formulate your own
answers to the following questions:
Does this problem stem primarily from individual decision-making, policy decisions, the social gradient, and/or something else?
Does describing the issue as a human rights issue change how we discuss it? Why or why not?
Does it help us take steps to improve the situation if we apply a human rights lens? Why or why not?
Instructions:
Choose
an issue related to health. The issue should involve systematic health
concerns (that is, you are asked to identify a health-related problem
that affects a slice of the world, not just one person or family.)
Explain the geographic area(s) and population(s) affected by this issue.
Explain which aspects of the situation might be called human rights violations, and why.
Analyze
the common understanding(s) of the roots of this issue. When it is
publicly talked about, do people typically use a discourse around
problematic personal behavior? Around group characteristics? Other?
Conduct
some research on the relevant sources of law for your issue. This could
include looking at a national constitution, international treaties,
local statues, and more. Sources of international law that may apply
could include the UDHR, ICCPR, and ICESCR. Other international laws may
apply. Please consult me and/or librarians if you are uncertain of how
to start.
Based on your research, analyze and explain whether the human rights violations you are examining violate any laws.
Research
what, if anything, is currently being done to address the human rights
violations you’ve found. This could mean action within a country, action
undertaken by a global organization, or action taken by individual
activists. Report on what the major responses are to the problems you’re
analyzing (or if the answer is nothing, then report, and back up with
evidence, that nothing is being done.)
Offer your analysis, backed up by your research, on the effectiveness so far of the responses attempted to the problem.
Finally,
conduct research into what else could possibly be done to address the
problems under review. For instance, are similar violations being better
addressed in other countries? Are there laws that could be drawn on
that are not being used? Is there a movement within the country of study
that could be supported? Would a change in perspective help? What
possibilities are there for change?
Draw on at least 5 sources,
for a total of at least 10 total citations. Sources could include course
assignments (though you are not required to use any for this paper),
documentaries, books, academic journal articles, news articles, or other
serious sources. Wikipedia is a wonderful starting resource but should
not be used as a cited source itself for this project. To reiterate the
policy stated in the syllabus, AI is not accepted as a source for this
assignment or as a way of generating phrases or content.
You
should use a recognized system of formal citation for this paper. Any
you choose is fine as long as you are consistent and fully cite anything
you take from a source. Please alphabetize your reference section. Your
paper should have page numbers.
Please consult me via e-mail if
you have any questions on how to get started, what is required, or
anything else. The earlier we connect on any questions the more time we
have to go back and forth.
The papers will be graded as follows:
40% well-rounded research (balanced variety of sources, comprehensive)
40% strong analysis (your conclusions spring logically from your research)
20% clear and effective writing