Sociology x Human Rights
Structural basis and individual experiences
According to Mills, every individual experience has a structural basis. A single experience is a micro problem of a macro issue. Therefore every human experience, and human rights, by default is a social construct. And so the access to and enjoyment of, and protection, and promotion of human rights is a social construct that is informed, affected, and affected by active engagement in the discourse of applied human rights by individuals in society.
Navigating dimensions of the sociological imagination
According to Mills, we understand the world around us and our experiences and that of others in historical and cultural context; that the sociological imagination of how individuals understand their own and others’ past is in relation to history and social structure. (1959). So, can it then be argued that when two or more people are witnesses to the same event, their experience of the said event varies by default? I have seen this happen in the intense setting of our own classroom in the Applied Human Rights program: our post-class de-briefing conversations have demonstrated that every single person has a specific takeaway from each session which is in accordance with their own personal history and context of their social structure, and varies accordingly.
Universal does not mean we are all the same
I have struggled often to understand my peers´ opinions, concerns, and angles of questioning because of my blindness towards our differences. Before the program started, I was aware of my “whiteness”, but the extent of structures in place throughout the last centuries and decades to promote my privileged position in society is only just now unfolding in my mind as we progress with this post-graduate course. And so by understanding more deeply my micro-universe and its place in the macro universe of universal human rights, I am also able to navigate through said macro universe and into my peers´ personal micro-universe and approach them with a better understanding of who they are, which in turn allows me to understand their experience, struggles, and issues. The concept of the sociological imagination really challenged my own perception of myself and my position in this world and is helping me deconstruct my approach to others. Up until now I understood us all to be equal, and so by the simple act of me believing everyone to be equal, I would approach them as such. But just because I experience them as equal - that I do not discriminate, from my position as an affluent white upper-middle-class, a well-educated white woman from liberal, ex-colonial european countries - does not mean that every single person I meet has experienced equality or has not experienced discrimination of some form. Even the naive fact to dismiss discrimination is a discriminating fact in itself. And so there has been a shift from not discriminating to me meditatively practicing non-discrimination.
Public space as a sphere of public discourse
I am fascinated by the public sphere as a place of active engagement in the discourse of human rights. I am co-owner of a Wiener Würstelstand, where we are not only actively working towards the accessibility of quality food by disrupting the value chain, but are also are aware of the cultural value of the Viennese Würstelstand as a common public space with the potential to shape public discourse - a place where potentially people with diverse micro dimensions are able to engage in the micro dimensions of others and so form a more comprehensive understanding of the macrostructures in place: a more informed sociological imagination. A Vienna Würstelstand is used by people from many different backgrounds who then come into the conversation, and so can be understood as a grassroots structure devoid of traditional hierarchies. As a social construct, it does not discriminate. If we can look at architecture and public space as a component of promoting engaged public discourse, what is the role of the Vienna Würdtelstand in applying the principles of the social imagination and creating a place of inclusive public discourse? And how could this potentially be used to promote and protect human rights?
