Course Title: Human Rights as Applied Communication

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Human Rights as Applied Communication

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
HUSO2291	City Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010
HUSO2291	City Campus	Postgraduate	360H Education	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 1 2012

Course Coordinator: Dr. Liz Branigan

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3153

Course Coordinator Email:liz.branigan@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 98.1.2D

Course Coordinator Availability: Email for appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This postgraduate introductory level course is designed to give you a concise yet critical introduction to the key aspects of the role played by applied communications theory and practice in the development of a culture of applied human rights. It is designed to enable you to contribute actively to the evolution of an applied human rights perspective which is multi-disciplinary in character, relies on education, dialogue and policy advocacy, and seeks to embed a culture of human rights in public interest organisations and in the wider community.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
• demonstrate that you have an understanding of and insight into relevant communications theory and practice;
• demonstrate that you can engage in a variety of effective applied communications and social marketing skills and strategies, eg. preparing a variety of communication forms, working with journalists, working with different media;
• engage reflexively and begin to map out some of the practical implications of an applied human rights perspective, focussing on the concept of a culture of human rights, the value of the dialogue model of rights, and the role played by education and policy advocacy.

The course will involve you firstly in a systematic and reflexive inquiry into the development of contemporary understandings of effective communications practice. This involves understanding something of the structures and organisation of modern communications systems as found in the political economy of the modern media industry. You will then encounter some of the leading examples of modern communications theory to establish by what means people seeking to engage in various kinds of social marketing can best get their message to a variety of audiences. This leads to a consideration of the formal cognitive elements of communications as well as the role played by emotion, values, metaphors and so forth. The course then moves on to examine the various genres and modes of communication with a stress on developing practical skill in drafting or preparing various kinds of communication devices, as well as the most effective ways of working with journalists and with different media.

Overview of Learning Activities

This course involves weekly two hour workshops which will combine some formal input with problem based learning using small groups.

Overview of Learning Resources

Learning resource materials will be made available on line.

Overview of Assessment

You will prepare three written exercises, including a social marketing strategy and several different kinds of media products to demonstrate your learning in this course.