HRTS 3700: Human Rights and Business
Course Description: To what extent do the
forces of globalization, free trade and foreign investment promote
social progress, human rights and democracy? What responsibilities do
businesses have in reconciling these goals with making profits? Who
should determine and enforce international standards for corporations?
These questions are central to current debates over globalization and
the role of businesses in international political economy. When one considers
that private foreign investment is roughly ten times larger than government
foreign aid it becomes clear that corporations have a huge and growing
impact in the world. This course will examine the rapidly emerging literature
on these questions from academics, businesses, governments, non-governmental
organizations, and human rights activists.
Text:
William H. Meyer. Human Rights and International
Political Economy in Third World Nations. Praeger Publishers.
1998
Course Requirements:
1. Research
Paper (35%): Each student will write a 10-15 pg. research paper
on the human rights record of a selected multinational corporation.
2. Debates (25%): Students will participate in one debate during
the term.
3. Midterm Exam (25%)
4. Attendence, class participation (15%)
Helpful links
Business
and Human Rights Resource Center
University
of Minnesota Business and Human Rights Links
Human Rights
Watch: Corporations
CorpWatch.org
corporate research guide
Corporate Accountability Project
Multinational
Monitor
Worker Rights Consortium
Sweatshop Watch
National Labor Committee
Global Exchange
Investor Responsibility
Research Center
Academic Dishonesty: It is the policy of the instructor that
any student caught cheating or committing plagiaism will receive a
failing grade for the course and may be subject to further disciplinary
action.
Avoiding
Plagiarism
Plagiarism: What
it is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
Citing Sources in
MLA Style
Citing Sources in
APA Style
Course Outline:
Week 1: Introduction
to Human Rights and Business
David Forsythe, "Transnational
Corporations and Human Rights." Human Rights and International
Relations. Cambridge University Press. 2000
Susan Ariel Aronson, "Courting International Business:
What are the Human Rights Obligations of Global Capitalism" The
International Economy. Spring 2003. vol. 17, no. 2. 63-64.
Meyer, Ch. 1
Week 2: What is a Corporation? Do Corporations Have Rights?
Do Corporations Have Responsibilities?
Milton Friedman, "The Social Responsibility of Business
Is to Increase Its Profits" in Thomas R. Swartz and Frank J. Bonello,
eds. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Economic Issues.
10th ed. McGraw-Hill. 2002
Alexei M. Marcoux, "Business Ethics Gone Wrong."
Cato Policy Report
William M. Evan, R. Edward Freeman, "Stakeholder Theory of the Modern
Corporation: Kantian Capitalism"
"Our Hidden Corporate
History"
Nike vs. Kasky
page, Reclaim Democracy.org
Timeline of Personhood Rights
and Powers. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
DEBATE TOPIC: "The Only Responsibility
of Corporations is to Increase Its Profits" (note: this debate will
take place the first part of class on Week 3)
Week 3: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights
Meyer, Chs. 3, 5
Deborah Spar, "Foreign
Investment and Human Rights." Challenge. Jan-Feb. 1999.
vol. 42
William Grieder, "Wawasan 2000" One World, Ready
or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism. Simon & Schuster.
1997.
David Korten, "Dreaming
of Global Empires" When Corporations Rule the World.
Kumarian Press. 1995
DEBATE TOPIC: "Multinational corporations' foreign investment enhances
human rights in the host countries"
Week 4: Trade and Human Rights
George DeMartino, "The Trade Debate." Global
Economy, Global Justice. Routledge. 2000.
Michael A. Santoro, "Comprehensive Engagement Plus: Human
Rights and Foreign Policy" Profits and Principles: Global Capitalism
and Human Rights in China. Cornell University Press. 2000
John Dorn "Trade and Human
Rights: The Case of China" Cato Journal. Vo. 16. No. 1 1998.
David Korten, "Guaranteeing
Corporate Rights." When Corporations Rule the World.
MIDTERM EXAM
DEBATE TOPIC: "United States trade policy should punish countries that
violate human rights" (note: this debate will take place the first
part of class on week 5)
Week 5: Globalization and Human Rights
Kelly-Kate Pease, "Economic Globalization and American
Society," in David Forsyth, ed. The United States and Human
Rights: Looking Inward and Outward. University of Nebraska Press.
2000.
Indur M. Goklany, "The
Globalization of Human Well-Being" Policy Analysis. August
22, 2002. No. 47
Paul Krugman, "Hearts
and Heads" New York Times. April 22, 2001
Michael A. Santoro, "The Two Faces of Globalization: How
the Strategic Imperatives of Global Capitalism Unleash both Positive
and Negative Forces" in Profits and Principles.
William Grieder, "The
New against the Old" in One World, Ready or Not.
David Korten, "Race
to the Bottom" When Corporations Rule the World.
Week 6: Labor Rights, Sweatshops and International Labor
Standards
Karl Shoenberger, "Slaves to Fashion." Levi's Children:
Coming to Terms with Human Rights in the Global Marketplace. Atlantic
Monthly Press. 2000
Paul Krugman, "In Praise
of Cheap Labor" New York Times.
Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, "Two Cheers for Sweatshops" in
Swartz and Bonello, Taking Sides.
Andrew Ross, "Introduction"
No Sweat: Fashion, Free Trade and the Rights of Garment Workers.
Verso. 1999
Kaushik Basu, "International
Labor Standards and Child Labor" Challenge. Sept.-Oct. 1999,
vol. 42
DEBATE TOPIC: "International Labor Standards that seek to eliminate low-wage employment ("sweatshops") hurt developing countries."
Week 7: Strategies and Policies: Voluntary Business Codes,
Regulations and the Role of Consumers
Thomas Donaldson, "The Promise of Corporate Codes of Conduct"
Human Rights Dialogue. Fall, 2000. Carnegie Council on Ethics
and International Affairs.
Trinh Duong, "Codes
of Conduct Don't Work: A View from the Factory Floor" Human
Rights Dialogue. Fall, 200. Carnegie Council on Ethics and
International Affairs.
George DeMartino, "Global Economic Policies for the
Year 2050" Global Economy, Global
Justice. Routledge. 2000.
Susan Ariel Aaronson, "Oh, Behave!" The International
Economy. March/April 2001.
Meyer, Ch. 6
DEBATE TOPIC: "Voluntary Business Codes are sufficient to ensure businesses
promote human rights. International regulations are unnecessary."
Week 8: Research Papers Due. Presentation of Findings