Information on individual educational components (ECTS-Course descriptions) per semester

B2 English proficiency

This course provides an introduction to the development of human rights and presents the main human rights instruments. The course covers topics such as discrimination and dilemmas in the work setting and how human rights instruments can be applied on the one hand as an analytical tool and on the other hand as a means to prevent human rights violations. In addition, various case studies are applied.

• History and development of human rights
• Human rights documents and instruments in order to protect and promote human rights in the professional setting.
• Selected case studies and case work in relation to human rights and professional ethics
• Discussion of controversies and dilemmas including ethical issues
• Sustainable Development Goals and relevance in the work environment
• Basic human needs and the development of role morality in comparison to personal morality
• Scientific action and possible solutions for a non-discriminatory professional setting 

This lecture will introduce the main human rights instruments and the relevance in the professional setting. By the end of the lecture the students will be able to:

• reflect on human rights documents and instruments
• identify how human rights principles can be applied to add value in the workplace
• apply ethical approaches and human rights principles in the workplace
• analyse relevant SDGs
• think critically about ethical issues encountered in the professional setting
• connect practice and theory
• recognise challenges (personal morality vs. role morality) and develop problem-solving strategies
• assess anti-discrimination elements and understand substantive equality issues

• Self-organised learning
• Dialogue in small groups
• Reflection
• Exercises based on reading material

Final examination (group presentation during the course)

none

Brenkert G. George (2015) Business Ethics and Human Rights: (online article)

Cramton C. Roger, Knowles P. Lori (1998) Professional Secrecy and Its Exceptions: Spaulding
v. Zimmerman Revisited (online article)

Gil, D. G. (1998). Confronting Social Injustice: Concepts and Strategies for Social
Workers. New York: Columbia University Press.

Heiderich, J. (2010). Gerechtigkeit in Organisationen. Im Spannungsfeld von
Bedürfnissen, Macht und Arbeitszufriedenheit. Berlin: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Berlin.

Illinois Institute of Technology, Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (2008). Professional ethics. » Basic definitions of professional ethics Online available http://ethics.iit.edu/teaching/professionalethics

Leideritz, M. /Vlecken, S. (Hrsg.) (2016) Professionelles Handeln in der Sozialen Arbeit – Schwerpunkt Menschenrechte, Ein Lese- und Lehrbuch, 1. Auflage. Leverkusen: Budrich,

Luban, David (2007). Professional ethics. A Companion to Applied Ethics. R.G. Frey and Christopher Heath Wellman, eds. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Prasad, N. (2011). Mit Recht gegen Gewalt. Die UN-Menschenrechte und ihre
Bedeutung für die Soziale Arbeit, Budrich, Opladen, Farmington Hills

Staub-Bernasconi, S. (2007/2010). Soziale Arbeit als Handlungswissenschaft.
Systemtheoretische Grundlagen und professionelle Praxis − Ein Lehrbuch. 2. Aufl. Bern.

Vereinte Nationen. Zentrum für Menschenrechte, Genf/ Internationale Vereinigung der Sozialarbeiterinnen und Sozialarbeiter/ Internationaler Verband der Ausbildungsstätten für Sozialarbeit (Hrsg.): Menschenrechte und Soziale Arbeit. Ein Handbuch für Ausbildungsstätten der Sozialen Arbeit und für den Sozialarbeitsberuf. Übersetzung

• Interdisciplinary and interactive workshop on human rights in the professional context
• Student-led working groups; analyse real life cases and case-studies with a focus on professional ethics, in order to find similarities and differences between disciplines
• Video material (e.g. films, reports, interviews) to promote human rights principles and professional ethics
• Digital questioning/quiz and voting sessions through tools such as Mentimeter