Module 7: Law's Impact on Society and International Issues

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Module 7

The readings for Module 7 begin with a discussion of the law and its influence on society through social change, court decisions, and social movements. The focus of the module then shifts to international issues as they are related to elements of law and social control. Similar to our discussion of labels in Module 2, explore the usefulness (or not) of the label “genocide” in Quigley (2009); we see how that label and the legal process associated with it has influenced Biljana Plavšić. Also, Smith and Smith (2011) discuss when the best of intentions can actually create new and different problems in areas where they did not previously exist.

Objectives: Module 7

Following the completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Evaluate law as an agent of social change
  • Explain the conflicting perspectives of international human rights
  • Assess the effectiveness of the Genocide Convention (1948)
  • Describe the role and unintended consequences of international organizations’ interventions in humanitarian crises

Assigned Readings: Module 7

Lippman, M. (2021). Law and society (3rd ed.). SAGE.

Journal Articles:

  • Corda, A., & Hester, R. (2021). Leaving the shining city on a hill: A plea for rediscovering comparative criminal justice policy in the United States. International Criminal Justice Review, 31(2), 203–233.
  • Quigley, J. (2009). Genocide: A useful legal category? International Criminal Justice Review, 19(2), 115–131.
  • Simić, O. (2018). “I would do the same again”: In conversation with Biljana Plavšić. International Criminal Justice Review, 28(4), 317–332.
  • Smith, C. A., & Smith, H. M. (2011). Human trafficking: The unintended effects of United Nations intervention. International Political Science Review, 32(2), 125–145.

Assessment: Module 7

A quiz and a series of questions related to the readings will be used to assess your comprehension and understanding of

A quiz and a series of questions related to the readings will be used to assess your comprehension and understanding of the concepts discussed in the assigned materials. Responses for Questions 1 and 2 should be 1–2 paragraphs in length (1-page maximum length for each question) and must thoroughly address all parts of the assigned questions. Responses to Question 3 should be 1 paragraph in length (approximately half a page).

Your response should be based on your understanding of the material, please provide direct answers to each question, not summaries of the assigned readings. The questions are structured to require that you think analytically and critically about the material when providing your response. The assigned questions are about the theories, ideas, topics, etc. discussed in the readings, not the findings of the individual readings assigned. Assigned readings serve as an example of concepts discussed in the course, but they should not be interpreted as the definitive position related to an area of research. If your response focuses primarily on explaining the results of an assigned reading, it is unlikely that you are addressing the assigned question. If you find yourself simply summarizing or paraphrasing the material described in the reading when addressing the question, stop, review the assigned question, and consider how your response addresses the concepts discussed throughout the module. Additionally, when addressing Question 3, you should be describing common themes present across all assigned articles. The underlying question for Question 3 is, why were these articles assigned together?

In your answers, do not use direct quotations from any sources. When providing support for your positions or examples to illustrate your points you may draw on the assigned readings, academic journal articles, or books. Please do not reference websites, magazines, newspaper articles, or other non-academic sources. Additionally, support for positions or examples may not be drawn from your individual opinions or experiences (See the “Helpful Information and Examples” page on the course homepage for a discussion of the difference between taking an academic position and a personal opinion.).

Be sure to address all portions of the assigned questions. APA style must be employed in your assignments for citations, formatting, and references. Please include only one combined reference section for all responses. Instances of plagiarism will result in a score of zero for the assignment, and the use of direct quotations will result in a 50% reduction in score.

Dr. Matusiak's description of Questions 1-3

Please answer the questions below:

  1. All the assigned readings for this module presented a broad picture of international law, human rights, and accountability with benefits and limitations. If international law and courts have been established to provide and enforce universal human rights, should nation-states be permitted to file reservations that undermine the protection of those rights? Why or why not?
  2. Quigley (2009) identified several limitations for establishing that a genocide has occurred. Considering those limitations and the experiences of Plavšić is genocide a useful legal category? Explain.
  3. Identify and describe the theme(s) (other than social control) present in the assigned journal articles that link all of the articles on a common concept. Explain how and why you have come to that position.

 

Please upload your response here (Module 7) as a Word (.doc or .docx) file. Your response is worth 50 points.

 

You will have one opportunity to take the Module 7 quiz. You must read the assigned material in Lippman (2021) before attempting the quiz. The quiz is timed (40 minutes), and you will not have sufficient time to hunt for the answers to all questions without first reading the material. The quiz is worth 40 points.

Lippman Chapter 13 Quiz

 

Module 7 is worth a total of 90 points.