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Description:
What are human rights? Can you list them -- and, is there a list somewhere? Does it matter? Do some people in the world have more access to human rights than others? Why? This seminar examines the origins, evolution, and practices of human rights ideas, norms, and institutions in global politics. We will explore the wide range of debate and controversy regarding human rights: are human rights universal (i.e. rights inherent in all human beings) or do they originate and obtain only in specific cultural contexts. Are human rights individual or collective? Should we prioritize various types of rights over others (i.e., civil and political rights vs. social, cultural, and economic)? We will examine how concepts like state sovereignty and power affect our consideration of these questions, as well as how well states and international organizations adhere to human rights norms and institutions. We will review how non-governmental advocacy organizations mobilize around human rights and the conditions under which they are (and are not) successful. Finally, we will examine how human rights have evolved and changed over time and whose voices are, and are not, reflected in national and international debates.
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