Alison Renteln
“The Right to Culture as a Human Right: Noise, Gender Violence, and the Cultural Defense”—Alison Dundes Renteln
| January 29, 2014 | ||
| 3:30 pm | to | 5:30 pm |
Ben Linder Room
Erb Memorial Union
1222 E. 13th Ave.
Presented by Alison Dundes Renteln, Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Law, and Public Policy, University of Southern California
Immigrants often have to give up their customs to conform to the standards of their new society. But should newcomers to the U.S. be expected to discard their traditions, even though the right to culture is a basic human right? What are reasonable limits on the right to culture?
Should immigrants be prohibited from eating a dog because Americans consider the animal a “pet”? Should symbols of religious identity like headscarves be allowed in public schools? Should the loud religious sounds such as the call to prayer be exempt from noise laws? How should the law handle traditions like child marriage and honor killing? While cross-cultural understanding is crucial, the question is how much weight courts should give culture when customs clash with the law. This lecture discusses how to draw the line. › Continue reading
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