CMLT109
HUMAN RIGHTS AND LITERATURE
Also listed under 2 other titles
- Human Rights and Literature
- HUMAN RIGHTS & LITERATURE
- Department
- Comparative Literature
- Terms offered
- 10
- Data refreshed
- Sep 29, 2026
Description
In this class, we will read literary and cultural documents to contemplate the concept of "human rights." What rights do all humans have, simply by virtue of being human? Who counts as human? Do current understandings of human rights exclude some people? Do humans have more rights than other species? How do questions of gender and sexuality fit into the discussion of human rights? As we seek to answer these questions, we will trace the development of human rights discourses from the Enlightenment to the present, looking at literature from a variety of cultures and human rights documents from a variety of sources. We will supplement our readings with outreach to local human rights organizations.
Syllabi
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Offering history & forecast 2015–2025
2009 2025
| Year | Fall | Spring | Summer | Intersession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2030 Fall: 37% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 5 of 9 fall terms since 2018. Department course count rising about 3% per year. Department faculty is about 58% below its recent average. | 2030 Spring: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 spring terms since 2018. | 2030 Summer: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 summer terms since 2018. | 2030 Intersession: 8% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 6 intersession terms since 2020. |
| 2029 | 2029 Fall: 41% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 6 of 10 fall terms since 2017. Department course count rising about 3% per year. Department faculty is about 58% below its recent average. | 2029 Spring: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 spring terms since 2017. | 2029 Summer: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 summer terms since 2017. | 2029 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2028 | 2028 Fall: 42% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 6 of 11 fall terms since 2016. Department course count rising about 3% per year. Department faculty is about 56% below its recent average. | 2028 Spring: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 spring terms since 2016. | 2028 Summer: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 summer terms since 2016. | 2028 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2027 | 2027 Fall: 45% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 7 of 12 fall terms since 2015. Section count rising about 1% per year over 3 terms. Department course count rising about 3% per year. Department faculty is about 55% below its recent average. | 2027 Spring: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 spring terms since 2015. | 2027 Summer: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 summer terms since 2015. | 2027 Intersession: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2025 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2024 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2023 | 2 sections | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2022 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2021 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2020 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2019 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | No data for this term |
| 2018 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | No data for this term |
| 2017 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2016 | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | No data for this term |
| 2015 | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered | No data for this term |
Forecast Under 15% 15–39% 40–69% 70–89% 90%+ Not enough history
Fall Spring Summer Intersession Darker means more sections Not offered No data for term
Future estimates combine recent offering frequency with detected multi-year cycles. Hover a cell for confidence and evidence; low-confidence estimates are marked with ~.
Meeting times
Most recent first- Mon, Thu, 1:25 PM–2:40 PM BP220 20252009
- Tue, Thu, 4:15 PM–5:30 PM ES402 2024
- Tue, Thu, 9:00 AM–10:15 AM ES402 2023
- Mon, Wed, 4:15 PM–5:30 PM ES303 2019
- Mon, Wed, 12:00 PM–1:15 PM ES303 201720152013
- Mon, Wed, 12:00 PM–1:15 PM ES303 2011
| Term | Professor | Type | Credits | Enrollment | CRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Christina Gerhardt | Lecture | 1 | 19 of 19 enrolled | 22741 |
| Fall 2024 | Christina Gerhardt | Lecture | 1 | 21 of 19 enrolled | 22741 |
| Fall 2023 | Chris C. Burwick | Lecture | 1 | 16 of 19 enrolled | 22741 |
| Fall 2023 | Chris C. Burwick | Lecture | 1 | 20 of 19 enrolled | 22330 |
| Fall 2020 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 17 of 18 enrolled | 27209 |
| Fall 2019 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 20 of 19 enrolled | 27209 |
| Fall 2017 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 18 of 18 enrolled | 25945 |
| Fall 2015 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 20 of 20 enrolled | 24588 |
| Fall 2013 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 20 of 20 enrolled | 22964 |
| Fall 2011 | Robert Tobin | First Year Seminar | 1 | 16 of 16 enrolled | 21339 |
| Fall 2009 | Robert Tobin | Lecture | 1 | 14 of 16 enrolled | 26289 |