Critical human rights research
This article provides an overarching understanding of what human rights research is, or could be, by applying the philosophical research paradigm of critical theory to the field.
Forfatter
Kjersti Skarstad
Publikasjon
Journal of Human Rights
What constitutes human rights research? This article provides an overarching understanding of what human rights research is, or could be, by applying the philosophical research paradigm of critical theory to the field.
It argues that human rights research should adopt a critical stance, steering clear of both “activist” and “value-neutral” approaches, as these might impede progress in figuring out the best ways of safeguarding human rights. In contrast, the critical approach preserves the vital role of human rights as a critical corrective to prevailing practices. As such, critical human rights research is explicitly normative, emancipatory, and interdisciplinary.
Besides outlining a specific mandate for human rights research, the article illustrates how existing research in this domain can be situated and comprehended within the framework of critical theory.