Oppression Dignity & Soc Chnge

Catalog description

Legend has it that the women textile workers striking in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1912 asked for “Bread for all, and Roses, too.” The demand for roses has come to encapsulate the fact that inequalities not only deprive human beings of material needs, but also of the possibility for a dignified life. It is unsurprising that almost 100 years later, the demand of Egyptian protestors were Bread, Freedom and Dignity. Since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined in its first article that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” the notion of human dignity has become increasingly prominent in all kinds of political debates and social struggles. A great number of people (scholars, jurists to activists) argue that dignity can only really be understood and grasped when it is related to other concepts and practices: respect, justice, freedom and security. We will adopt a bottom up approach, focusing on social movements’ attempts to secure everyday dignity through struggles for social justice, collective security, freedom from want and respect for the human person. We will draw from the histories of the Black Panthers’ healthcare program, LBGTQ activism around ‘safe spaces, and the domestic and international prisoners’ rights movement among others. Offered: fall or spring.