733
Translating Human Rights in Latin America from Theory to Practice
Translating Human Rights in Latin America from Theory to Practice
Abstract Submissions Closed
Thursday, 25 February 2021: 09:00-10:30
Location:
TG03 Human Rights and Global Justice (host committee)
Language: Spanish and English
Session Type: Oral
Academic scholarship has long been intrigued by the empirical puzzle of human rights compliance (or lack thereof) in Latin America. On the one side, the region is a vocal human rights advocate at the forefront of legal innovation and progress, yet Latin American states also continuously fail to guarantee the core principles of freedom, liberty and justice in practice. Rights disproportionally affected by these dynamics are those of women and other vulnerable groups. The result is a democratic deficit, creating notions of second-class citizenship and visible discrepancies between the theoretical ideal anchored in the law and the social reality citizens face in their everyday lives. In this session we are interested in understanding how individual states respond to this problem. Is the region progressing, stagnating or moving backwards?
We invite submissions that either (1) theoretically and/or historically trace the paradoxical gap between the law and social reality in a more general sense; (2) highlight concrete practical obstacles on the path to compliance, for example, by analysing norm and value conflicts or capacity issues; or (3) challenge the existence of an implementation gap by presenting innovative and successful examples of public policy in a certain area of rights. The monitoring and assessment of legislation and public policy can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. We encourage submissions that explore the subject from an interdisciplinary angle, drawing upon a mix of theories from Sociology, Law and Political Science.
We will accommodate 4-5 paper presentations followed by questions and a discussion.
Session Organizers: