Human rights and social justice scholars and activists respond to systemic, often institutionalized violence and inequality within and among nation-states. This course situates these frames within critical analyses of law, society, and culture. Students will trace the roots of human rights and social justice before observing the contexts and debates that continue to shape the practice of each, such as universalism vs relativism, the relationship between religion and states, the politics of citizenship, individuality vs society, and state sovereignty vs cosmopolitanism. This course situates these issues in specific places, exploring ways that nation-states may become more just through topics like displacement, genocide, health disparity, famine, water rights, torture, and human trafficking.
ANTH*248/SOC*248