Cultural Struggles Over Human Rights

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Cultural StrugglesOver Human Rights
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Struggles over Human Rights

• The Theory
• Human rights are those rights we share because of
  our common humanity
• They are based on a view that some rights are so
  profoundly important that they apply universally,
  i.e., to everyone

• The Practice
• Human rights are socially constructed rather
  than given by higher authority
• We struggle over human rights
• Within cultures
• Between cultures
• Globally, against forces that threaten impose
  rights

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Cultural Struggles Human Rights

• Each culture has its own struggles over what
  constitutes a just society
• Our own cultural war
• Gay rights
• The death penalty
• Abortion
• Affirmative action
• The purpose of the state

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Human Rights StrugglesBetween Cultures

• In many multi-cultural societies, the major arena
  for human rights struggles is between cultures
• Consider debates over
• wearing religious symbols to school
• school curricula
• separation of religion and the state
• official languages

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Globalization Damaging Human Rights

• Given economic and political imbalances,
  globalization threatens human rights in many
  places
• Consider the impacts of the global economy
• The extent of the new slavery
• Violations of child labor standards
• Lack of economic security in many places
• Lack of adequate nutrition in many places

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The Globalization of Human Rights

• The human rights movement is also part of
  globalization
• The world new watches the ways governments treat
  their people
• Global pressure is applied against countries
  violating the rights of their people or other
  people
• Civil political rights are at their peak
• Room to improve for other kinds of rights