SOCY 49.24 Sociology of Human Rights
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights called on the world’s nations to respect the “inherent dignity and…the equal inalienable rights” of all people. But while the declaration helped globalize human rights, the world continues to experience genocide, torture, slavery, discrimination, and the wide-scale displacement of people. The course seeks to gain a greater appreciation of the complex social forces that impede human rights while also imagining new strategies to address current-day human rights challenges. Students will critically examine human rights case law, develop a non-governmental organization, and participate in a simulation of the United Nations Security Council.