Equality, Diversity and Non-Discrimination: Legal and critical perspectives

The course is an optional advanced course within the Master of Laws programme at the Department of Law.

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Students following a Swedish Law programme leading up to a law degree must have completed 150 hec from semester 1-4 of the law programme as well as HRO600 International Law on semester 6.

Students from other programmes or international students are expected to have a Bachelor’s degree in law or in another subject with some focus on law.

Exemptions from these requirements may be given for students on Master of Law programmes of other universities.

The course takes its starting point in anti-discrimination and equality law but moves on to expand the frame of how law relates to in/equality by considering a number of other areas of law. The course introduces a range of theories and perspectives on the causes and effects of inequality, discrimination and lack of diversity and examines the role of law in creating, sustaining, mitigating, and overcoming inequality, discrimination and lack of diversity.

The course is divided into two parts: 

A. Approaches to equality, diversity and non-discrimination

The first part of the course starts with an exposition of the aims, structure, and limitations of anti-discrimination and equality law, before moving on to considering the problem of inequality from a range of different theoretical perspectives (such as political economy, queer studies) and in relation to a few different areas of law (such as human/constitutional rights law and tax law). Throughout, the focus will consistently be on the role of law in generating, sustaining, mitigating, and overcoming inequality. Themes that will be discussed include racism, reproduction, sexuality, distribution, nature and knowledge.

B. Essay 

During the second part of the course the students will pursue independent studies with a view to produce and an essay. The essays will be presented and discussed with the other students at the end of the course. The essay assignment will also include an assignment as reader/opponent.

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

1. explain equality, diversity, and non-discrimination from a legal point of view

2. understand what equality, diversity and non-discrimination entail when looked at from different perspectives such as liberalism, post-colonial studies, law and political economy, queer studies, etc.;

3. explain how law can sustain and promote equality as well as maintain and exacerbate inequality

Competence and skills

4. make legally relevant arguments relating to inequality, discrimination, and lack of diversity

5. partake in theoretically informed discussions concerning law and equality, diversity, and non-discrimination

6. make theoretically informed analyses of contemporary legal problems related to in/equality, diversity, and non-discrimination

7. present acquired knowledge and understanding in oral and written form

The teaching activities the course offers are:

Lectures

Seminars

Supervision

The teaching activities are designed so that the student will acquire basic knowledge through introductory lectures and can further their knowledge and skills through seminars. Teaching activities combine learning exercises with assessment, so that the same assignment can be used for both purposes.

The assignments are:

- Actively participating in seminars during the first part of the course

- Carry out tasks assigned for different seminars during the first part of the course

Modul 0020: Approaches to Equality, Diversity and Non-Discrimination, 7 hec

- Writing an essay during the second part of the course

- Participating in a defense seminar during the second part of the course

Modul 0022: Essay, 8 hec

The first module is graded pass or fail. The second module is graded AB/Ba/B/Fail. The purpose of the first module is to prepare students for the second module. The grade assigned to the second module is also the grade of the entire course.

Students who do not submit their essay at the first opportunity may submit on a second occasion. Students who cannot attend a seminar will be given the opportunity to make a written completion.

Students who fail the course at the first time of submission, can complement their essay and submit the essay two more times during the same academic year. Students who fail twice on the course during the same academic year may be registered for the course at a later date (subject to availability) to submit their essay for two more times.

If a student has failed the same examined component twice, he or she has a right to be examined by a different examiner unless there are special reasons to the contrary.

If a student, who has failed the same examined component twice, wishes to change examiner before the next examination, a written application shall be sent to the department responsible for the course and shall be granted unless there are special reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6, Section 22 of Higher Education Ordinance).

In cases where a course has been discontinued or has undergone major changes, the student shall normally be guaranteed at least three examination occasions (including the ordinary examination) during a period of at least one year from the last time the course was given.

Deviations from the syllabus may be made for students receiving study support.

The grading scale comprises: Passed with Distinction (AB), Passed with Credit (BA), Pass (B) and Fail (U).

The Department of Law is under obligation to evaluate all of its courses. Course evaluation will be conducted and compiled in accordance with the current procedures at the Department of Law. All course evaluations are scrutinized by the Board of Education of the Department of Law. A student who assists with the compilation of the course evaluations is entitled to a certain remuneration and a certificate to this point.

The results of the evaluation and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.