This paper examines the opinion of writer W. Penn Handwerker on the issue of cultural variations impacting universal human rights.
Written in 2005; 837 words; 1 sources; MLA; $ 29.95
Paper Summary:
This paper analyzes W. Penn Handwerker's article "Universal Human Rights and the Problem of Unbounded Cultural Meanings." Handwerker contends that cultural variations impact on universal rights and that freedom from violence epitomizes the entire of concept of human rights. This paper details how Handwerker's views and opinions differ greatly from popular beliefs and theories such as that of anthropologist Gene Hammel, who argues that each culture is different because it chooses whichever identity is best for it. When "different" is equated with "best," asserts Hammel, the possibility of universal human rights is defeated. This paper examines the reasons Handwerker rejects the conclusions of various cultural anthropologists who argue that human rights are an unattainable ideal due to cultural differences.
From the Paper:
"In the first section of the article, "Violence as Meaning That Arises from Social Interaction," Handwerker argues that though there is sometimes biological expression of violence, "violence can only be expressed as a social act within specific social relationships" (p. 800), and the meaning of violence depends heavily upon the social context in which it takes place. And though violent behavior is oftentimes passed down to the next generation, a change in behavior can break the cycle. Handwerker's observations of people from West Africa to the West Indies to the United States have revealed to him that the subjects of violence (but not the instigators of it) generally use physical pain (as opposed to emotional pain) as the primary criterion of violence. And just as consistent as the definition of violence across the various cultures he studied were the reports of affection."
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