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Topic 10: Social Policy of Educational Institutions

Defining Human Rights

There are three main perspectives on defining human rights:

• Positivism: Rights based on legal texts and goodwill, often aspirational but not always legally binding. These positive rights may not be fully captured or enforced within specific legal systems.
• Natural Law: Inherent rights preceding positive law, reflecting universal human needs and aspirations. This perspective views human rights as a higher moral order, objective and universal, influencing legal frameworks.
  • Relative Natural Law: A dynamic approach recognizing the evolving nature of human rights and the need for continuous critical assessment and incorporation into legal systems.

Historical Context

• 17th Century:

Total Physical Response (TPR) by James Asher

Total Physical Response (TPR), developed by James Asher, is a language teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical (motor) activity.

Approach to Language Learning

• Asher does not directly discuss the nature of language.
• Asher’s language learning theories are reminiscent of the views of other behavioral psychologists.

Method Design and Objectives

• The general objectives of TPR are to teach oral proficiency at a beginning level.
• The type of syllabus Asher uses can be inferred from an analysis of the exercise types employed in TPR classes. This analysis reveals the use of a sentence-based syllabus, with grammatical and lexical criteria

Nature and Culture: A Philosophical Inquiry

Understanding Nature

Nature, derived from the Latin natura, refers to what is genetically preprogrammed or acquired during embryonic and fetal development. Genetic information, for instance, is transmitted slowly. Human beings are a product of the same evolutionary process as other individuals. Giner defines nature as an "animal imitator," stating that "the human being is born" with this inherent nature.

Philosophical Stances on Nature

• Absolutism: Defends the inherent nature of individuals, asserting an ontological truth that nature is equal for all, and an epistemological truth that knowledge is the same for all.
• Ethnocentrism: Views one's own culture as superior to others.
• Universalism: Defends the existence