Global Civil Society: Towards the Globalization of Human Rights?

This course examines the growing and changing roles of non-governmental actors in international politics. We will begin by asking whether there is such a thing as a global civil society and examining its components. We will then focus on specific issue areas of civil society activism, including human rights, women’s rights, the environment, humanitarian aid, racism, and migrants and refugees. The course aims at providing students with both a conceptual and empirical framework so they can form an opinion about the existence, functions, transformative potential, and challenges faced by civil society activism in an increasingly globalized world.