Studying at York
Project Placement - POL00090M
Module summary
This module gives students the opportunity to apply and gain new knowledge, skills and abilities through the implementation of a human rights project for a human rights organisation in South Africa, Colombia or the UK. Students gain invaluable insights into some of the constraints, challenges and opportunities that human rights organisations face. Students are encouraged to reflect on the theoretical content of the programme, and critically evaluate this against their experience on the ground. They should think critically about how their experience and the issues they dealt with on their project reflects and addresses the significant political, ethical, logistical, and methodological challenges to human rights practice.
Students will undertake the placement in South Africa, Colombia or the UK in weeks 9 and 10 of Semester 1.
Related modules
Pre-requisite modules
Co-requisite modules
- None
Prohibited combinations
- None
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
This module gives students the opportunity to apply and gain new knowledge, skills and abilities through the implementation of a human rights project for a human rights organisation in South Africa, Colombia or the UK. Students gain invaluable insights into some of the constraints, challenges and opportunities that human rights organisations face. Students are encouraged to reflect on the theoretical content of the programme, and critically evaluate this against their experience on the ground. They should think critically about how their experience and the issues they dealt with on their project reflects and addresses the significant political, ethical, logistical, and methodological challenges to human rights practice.
Module learning outcomes
Subject content
At the end of the module, students should:
- Be able to critically reflect on the political, logistical, ethical, and methodological complexities of conducting a project related to human rights
- Be able to explain the political, social, and economic challenges related to human rights practice
- Be able to convey a detailed and in-depth knowledge of a human rights case study
Academic and graduate skills
At the end of the module, students should:
- Be able to conduct safe, ethical, and effective primary research in the field
- Be able to engage in reflective practice and exercise reflexivity
- Be able to think critically about complex subjects
- Be able to communicate effectively in both verbal and written forms
- Be able to present complex concepts and topics confidently
Module content
There are 4 workshops in this module
-
What are placements, expectations and codes of conduct - contracting, team work, planning.
-
Ethics and codes of conduct - working with busy and/or trauma-affected colleagues, working across radical disagreement.
-
Codes of conduct - risk and logistics. Check in on preparations for data collection.
-
Placement debrief, check in on project output.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 25 working days; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours.
Indicative reading
Please refer to module convenor