Claims-Making and Human Rights in Domestic and International Spheres

Jun Ayukawa

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.08

Authors

Jun Ayukawa Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.11.2.08

Keywords:

Human Rights, Translation, Meaning, Claims-Making, Social Constructionism

Abstract

While the concept of human rights may seem basic, it is important for social constructionists to understand that the meaning of the term can vary from country to country. In this paper, I will examine the translation and meaning of human rights and human rights lawyer in Japanese. I show how the vagueness of the term is important and I demonstrate the dialectical relationship between domestic social issues and international organizations concerning human rights. I also demonstrate how the combination of powerful international organizations and domestic claims can sometimes be successful in changing a country’s policy.

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Author Biography

Jun Ayukawa, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan

Jun Ayukawa is a Professor in the School of Law and Politics at Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. He has published five books in Japanese, including Juvenile Crimes: Have They Really Increased and Become More Brutal? (2001). He has also published several papers on social constructionism in English for American publications. Among these are “Constructivism” in International Encyclopedia of Political Science (2011) and “The Construction of Juvenile Delinquency as a Social Problem in Post World War II Japan” in Perspectives on Social Problems (1995).

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