In this course, students become acquainted with the sociology of human rights as a distinct field of inquiry within the social sciences. They learn to understand the emergence, institutionalization, and contestation of human rights from a sociological perspective. The course introduces students to the international human rights regime and to different sociological approaches to human rights, including foundationalist, constructivist, and activist perspectives. The course will allow students to (a) develop critical thinking and appreciate the plurality of sociological perspectives on human rights; (b) understand human rights as historically contingent, socially constructed, and politically contested norms; (c) analyze the role of institutions, social movements, and other actors in the production, interpretation, and implementation of human rights; (d) engage with contemporary debates on human rights in areas such as religion, gender, and global politics; and (e) further develop academic skills, including the use of literature, critical reading, and the formulation of structured arguments.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING This course provides students with key theoretical and empirical knowledge on human rights as a sociological phenomenon. Students acquire an understanding of the international human rights regime, its historical development, and its institutional structure, as well as the main sociological approaches to human rights, including foundationalist, constructivist, and activist perspectives. MAKING JUDGMENTS Students are encouraged to critically analyze competing interpretations of human rights and to assess their social, political, and cultural implications. They learn to evaluate different perspectives on human rights, including debates on universality and relativism, and to form informed and well-argued judgments on contemporary human rights issues. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Students develop the ability to communicate their arguments clearly and effectively, using appropriate sociological concepts and terminology. Through class discussions and presentations, they improve their capacity to present complex ideas, engage with different viewpoints, and contribute to collective learning. LEARNING SKILLS Students learn to work independently with academic literature, organize their reading and study schedule, and critically engage with theoretical and empirical texts. They are guided in identifying relevant sources, interpreting arguments, and applying sociological approaches to concrete cases related to human rights.

This course introduces students to the sociology of human rights, focusing on human rights as historically emergent, socially constructed, and politically contested norms. The course is structured in two main parts. The first part provides an overview of the modern international human rights regime and examines its historical development and sociological foundations. It introduces students to key debates on the universality of human rights and their critics, including alternative cultural and religious interpretations. It further presents major sociological approaches to human rights, distinguishing between foundationalist, constructivist, and activist perspectives, and explores how human rights norms are produced, interpreted, and institutionalized. The second part of the course focuses on human rights in practice. It examines the role of social movements, non-governmental organizations, and transnational advocacy networks in translating grievances into rights claims and in shaping policies, laws, and institutions. Particular attention is given to processes of contestation, including conflicts over the meaning and scope of human rights in areas such as religious freedom, gender and sexuality, and reproductive rights. The course also addresses contemporary challenges to the human rights regime, including processes of politicization, judicialization, and backlash. Throughout the course, students engage with key theoretical texts and empirical case studies and are encouraged to apply sociological perspectives to the analysis of contemporary human rights issues.

Core readings: Nash, K. (2015). The Political Sociology of Human Rights. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Additional readings are assigned for each session.

The teaching methods of this course combine (1) frontal lectures, (2) guided reading and discussion of texts, and (3) student presentations and in-class research activities.

Attendance is expected and active participation is an integral part of the course. The assessment is based on continuous evaluation and includes three components: (1) class participation, (2) presentation of assigned readings, and (3) a final oral exam conducted in small groups.

Students interested in writing their thesis in Sociology of Human Rights are invited to contact the course instructor. Due to supervision requirements, thesis proposals will only be considered if submitted at least four months prior to the planned submission date.