Human Rights as Social Representations

Book excerpt: Research discussed in this book confirms that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights serves as an important landmark, guiding shared normative social representations across different national contexts. The author also discusses how individuals position themselves in relation to human rights according to what possibilities they see for having these rights respected by both the government, and each other. This, he shows, is clearly related to the value choices of individuals, their experience of social discrimination and injustice, and the actual enforcement of human rights in their countries.