Introduction
This journal chosen is Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights - Friends or Foes? By Oonagh Reitman (1997) discuss about the similarities between two critiques of international human rights, Cultural Relativist and Feminist. The journal highlights comparing the Cultural Relativist and Feminist of Human Rights. In further, we can see these critiques, the Cultural Relativist and the Feminist have come to oppose each other world of women’s international rights.
In the cultural relativist critique, the critique is made of the claim that human rights are universal, that human rights are those held simply by virtue of being human and whose substance, form and interpretation are not subject to variations in culture. But, in the cultural relativist reject this claim, because cultural relativist claim that the source of human rights is culture, and since the
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We can see the reservation from the emergence ratification of the Convention. The ratification was women can be able to work towards the goal gender elimination. But, although there is ratification, still there is resistance from the reserving state to exempt to having comply part of the document. The resistance comes from varied nature based on religious law and customary practices.
The cultural relativism also gives negative impact in the implementation women’s human rights. The cultural relativism can sees as the obstacle on the protection of women’s human rights. To explain cultural relativist as obstacle, it needs to distinguish between obstacle of the women’s rights who are citizen of reserving states and those who are not. But, both of them, the resistance from cultural relativism also based on religious objections. For those reserved states will affect to weaken women’s rights. Because they still to cling their value cultural
The first positive aspect of cultural relativism is the belief that there is no universal culture even though culture is universal (Chiariello, 2013). That each cultures has their own separate beliefs, tradition, values, and morals. That there is no one true or false way of living. That the rights and wrongs of one culture might not be the same for another culture. For example, in most third world countries children are forced into hard labor to provide for their families. Children in the United States might think that to be wrong and unethical but to those children in those countries this is what is needed of them and doesn’t see it to be wrong or unethical in any way. That difference doesn’t mean that one’s culture is superior or inferior to another’s culture. It means that as human we have to adapt to the surrounding in order to survive.
This essay will outline the position of feminists and cultural relativists and demonstrate the similarities between them, namely the common ground of human rights discourse. It is my contention that both can work together to make inclusive changes to the way they interpret and understand the human rights violations of women and work to assure the protection of women’s human rights. This essay will suggest that there is enough common ground between these two approaches to provide a solid foundation where feminists and cultural relativists can combine their insights to create a more inclusive, adaptable critique of the mainstream international human rights discourse. Working together, they can have a greater impact on international human rights discourse and the actualization of the human rights of
Cultural Relativism is an important ethical theory and James Rachels’ argument is significant to provide evidence to prove and disprove the idea. It is important to call attention to and understand differences between cultures. Tolerance is also an valid concept when arguing Cultural Relativism. Regardless of the outcome or viewpoint of the argument it is significant in the fact that it raises awareness for tolerance and differences between cultures and that no culture is more superior or more correct in relation to another. The theory of Cultural Relativism is the idea that each and every culture has it’s own moral code, and if this is true, there is no universal, ethical truth that every culture must abide by. A universal truth being one that is true in all situations, at all times, and in all places. It proposes that a person’s actions should be understood and judged only by those within the terms of their culture. It is an idea of tolerance and open mindedness to cultures who are not our own. In the article, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, James Rachels discusses important themes and arguments in concurrence with his own argument against Cultural Relativism. I will argue that Cultural Relativism is challenged by James Rachels argument but not disproved.
Women rights are considered the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls of societies worldwide. In many parts of the country these rights are supported by
All of Richard Rorty – Human Rights, Rationality and Sentimentality – Fernando Tesón – International Human Rights and Cultural Relativism – and Charles Taylor – A World Consensus on Human Rights? – believe or concede to some degree that the notion of what Taylor defines as descriptive relativism is one that accurately describes the varied realities of individuals in differing cultures; that there exists in the world some measure of diversity of culture. In their respective thought processes that follow from that point, however, the three thinkers diverge considerably.
Philosophy has many different topics that are debatable and have been argued throughout its long history. Cultural relativism is a very interesting and controversial topic in the philosophical/ religious world. To further understand cultural relativism one must first learn the definition. Cultural relativism is the view that Different cultures have different moral codes and values, therefore culture is subjective and arbitrary. When given a closer look at cultural relativism we come to the conclusion that it is not as plausible as it first appears and that certain moral values are needed in creating a sustainable and thriving society (57).In This paper I will begin with a short analyst briefly stating the beliefs of a cultural relativist, explaining their values and examining their views on cultural morals and codes. Then moving on to analyzing the Argument of cultural differences which discusses the view that there is no universal “right” or “wrong” when examining cultures moral views; a cultures morals and values are simply a matter of opinion. Lastly I will confirm that every culture has a diminutive amount moral views and values.
Right from the Preamble of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948), the “equal rights of women and men” are mentioned, together with the fundamental human rights, to be reaffirmed by the UN’s member states to form the background for the demonstration of the Declaration (Universal Declaration on Human Rights, 1948). The history of women’s rights can be traced back to the Babylonian law-code (the Code of Hammurabi, ca. 1780 BC) , and then one of the first legally documented declarations on women’s rights named Declaration of Sentiments signed in 1848 . In the modern time, a number of conventions and international conventions regarding women’s rights have been consented to set forth by many countries in the
In order to test the hypotheses addressed above to measure to what extent gendered citizenship law is decisive in human rights violations, the paper will look at difference
Here are the review of a journal titled “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights – Friends or Foes” the journal mostly discussed on both perspective, from the Cultural Relativism perspective and also from the Feminist perspective on International Human rights. Even though this journal emphasizing more and seeking for the similarities from the perspective of Cultural Relativist and Feminist but we can see from the journal that how those perspective from both side which are Cultural Relativist and Feminist have a contradiction with each other even though they criticizing the same actors which is the International Human.
First, for the one who believe on cultural relativism, the way they see universal human rights, they think it as the modern form of imperialism with the values and views of western (Reitman 1997, 104) and the relationship between cultural relativist with feminist is cultural relativist believe that feminist ‘protect the western notion of equality’ (Reitman 1997, 107) and feminist claim the universal rights according to the western perspective. Secondly, on the other hand, for the one who believe on feminism, they criticize that in the practice the universality has not been realized, they criticize that the only rights that only being protected are men’s rights and they feel that women still have not being yet included in the human rights (Reitman 1997, 104) and the relationship between feminist with cultural relativist is feminist believe that cultural relativist protect ‘a male notion of culture’ (Reitman 1997, 107) and cultural relativist seems to try to hampering the realization and enforcement of human rights of
Women’s rights have become a major topic in the world today. The rights countries allow women vary, some have full equality, partial or no rights at all. Women deserve the right to do everyday activities just as men do. Men are glorified in cultures while women are degraded. Equality is one of the utmost important ideas in today's world. Their is no need for women to constantly be a second choice or not even be considered in the job market simply because of their gender. Females are not less than males and the faster nations across the world realize it the better for all.
The article, “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights – Friends or Foes?” by Oonagh Reitman seeks to address how cultural relativist and feminist sees the existence of the international human rights, specifically women’s human rights. The research problem being addressed is the similarities between these two critiques of international human rights and how these two critiques have come to defy one another when it comes to the term of women’s international human rights.
This journal article is explaining about the different views in the critiques in the International Human Rights. The writer of this article attempts to explain to the readers to differentiate the understanding of the point of views of two sides, cultural relativist and feminist. Cultural relativist and feminist are actually quite similar but in the way of understanding they have a few differences. The critiques of both cultural relativist and feminist can be said that they are the same however a misunderstanding will may be occurred that can change the perspectives. The writer in the beginning
This journal article is explaining about the different views in the critiques in the International Human Rights. The writer of this article attempts to explain to the readers to differentiate the understanding of the point of views of two sides, cultural relativist and feminist. Cultural relativist and feminist are actually quite similar but in the way of understanding they have a few differences. The critiques of both cultural relativist and feminist can be said that they are the same however a misunderstanding will may be occurred that can change the perspectives. The writer in the beginning has explained the international human rights critique basic theory. On the side of cultural relativist, they argue that the universal human rights that is gotten ‘by virtue of being human’ (Donnelly in Reitman 1997, p. 100) is not sensitive to the cultural diversity. They reject the basic theory and they rather believe that the diverse cultures are the source of human rights. On the other hand, on the side of feminist, they rather believe that in the real life the one who holds the human rights are not women but men, and ‘that gender equality, and freedom from discrimination for women, is given a low
The universal declaring of 1948 celebrated the belief in human rights as a great moral value. The definition of human rights shows they are rights accorded to humans because they are human and independent of their varying social circumstances and degrees of merit. The very concept of the existence of human rights raises different questions about the analysis of the concept of human rights of the advantages or disadvantages of the rights, vocabulary or their content or even their justification. This goes on questions of whether there is any ground for believing in something universal and inalienable like Human rights.