Global sociology and the nature of rights

A citizen was originally a member of a city and, while enjoying certain privileges, was equally burdened with obligations. The notion of citizenship spread from Europe to Japan and then on to China. Intellectuals in both countries were influenced by a range of political ideas from Europe in the late nineteenth century about civil society and citizenship. The juridical revolution of the twentieth century, involving the international recognition of human rights as formulated in the United Nations Declaration, is a major illustration of the general process of globalization. Political statements about human rights and citizenship, state sovereignty and rights are often contradictory. This chapter attempts to understand the differences between the social rights of citizens and individual human rights. Without a global taxation system, the United Nations will continue to be largely dependent on United States funding and generosity. More importantly, the prospects of global governance and global citizenship remain merely political fantasies.

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