Human Rights and the Politics of Culture (824M9)

30 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Autumn teaching

Human rights are a key legacy of the 20th century. They were created to prevent state violence and crimes against humanity. Over time, they have spread across the world and taken on new meanings. Though shaped by nations, human rights ideas have been adapted in many contexts. They now serve as both tools and targets in political struggles, state policy, and global movements.In the first part of this module, you’ll:

• examine the historical origins, philosophical underpinnings and global expansion of human rights thinking
• examine anthropology and human rights’ troubled relationship
• consider the conflicts between 'culture' and 'rights' that have emerged in this process, and the question of universality in the application of human rights around the world
• develop a critical understanding of the ways in which 'culture' is articulated in human rights language and practice.

The second part of the module is dedicated to contemporary practices: the different uses of human rights. You’ll explore:

• the signification they carry and the effects they produce
• the tensions they reveal
• the contradictions they manifest.
• how actors make human rights 'real' and the limitations of these framings
• how anthropologists have constructed human rights as an object of study
• the role of global institutions responsible for promoting and protecting human rights
• the different forms that human rights have taken in response to changing political and social realities.

You’ll also study the impact of human rights discourse and practice through ethnographic case studies that cover key issues such as women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, indigenous representation, and cultural expertise. These case studies will help you understand both the intended and unintended effects of human rights efforts in diverse global contexts.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 267 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.