Human Rights: Bedrock or Mosaic?

Abstract

The professional literature reflects a wide divergence of conceptualizations of human rights, although practice assumes a normative code. Contrasted with previous social science research, in which individuals are assessed in terms of operationalized normative definitions, this study employs social constructionism and Q methodology, in which individuals rank culturally embedded propositions about human rights. Of 10 emergent accounts (factors) open to exegesis, 5 are reported and are approached as plausibility structures, internally consistent gestalts that reflect culturally sedimented worldviews.