Social Equality Law
Code
LL109
Department
Área de Ensino
Credits
4
Teacher in charge
Helena Pereira de Melo
Weekly hours
3
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
To teach students to think about equality, discrimination and identities, in theoretical terms. To give them theoretical tools in order to be able to query the practices whereby historically institutionalized unequal relationships are constructed, using law and its various discourses.
Capacity to analyze reconstructions of legal and non-legal discourses with a view to the removal of discrimination, particularly socio-discursive mechanisms for the creation of contra-hegemonic identities.
Good knowledge of International and domestic Law in the areas of non discrimination (gender, race, sexual orientation).
Subject matter
Equality and wrongful discrimination. Legal theories that explain how and when is it wrong to draw distinctions among people on the basis of certain traits. International and national legal texts that fight sex, gender, race, religious discrimination. The course is centered in “gender discrimination” but other forms of discrimination are considered, as well.
Bibliography
BELEZA, TERESA PIZARRO (2010), DIREITO DAS MULHERES E DA IGUALDADE SOCIAL – A CONSTRUÇÃO JURÍDICA DAS RELAÇÕES DE GÉNERO, COIMBRA: ALMEDINA
DAHL, TOVE STANG (1993) DIREITO DAS MULHERES, LISBOA: F C GULBENKIAN.
HELLMAN, DEBORAH (2008), WHEN IS DISCRIMINATION WRONG?, CAMBRIDGE: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
MELO, HELENA PEREIRA DE (2007), IMPLICAÇÕES JURÍDICAS DO PROJECTO DO GENOMA HUMANO: CONSTITUIRÁ A DISCRIMINAÇÃO GENÉTICA UMA NOVA FORMA DE APARTHEID?, VOL. 1, PORTO: SERVIÇO DE BIOÉTICA E ÉTICA MÉDICA DA FACULDADE DE MEDICINA DO PORTO
Teaching method
Formal lectures and more informal discussion of concepts, texts, and case law of international, European or Portuguese courts. Soft-law texts. Possibility of preparation and discussion of short research papers regarding relevant topics (e.g. "discrimination according to sexual orientation in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights").
Evaluation method
Written Exam.