State Cooption and the Search for Converging Interests

Author: Eleanor Carr, JD 2010

Abstract: Many states use their asserted public commitment to human rights norms to increase their legitimacy in the eyes of the international community. A state’s decision to take on particular rights may come from homegrown movements or may be imposed by the international community. This paper analyzes this distinction in the context of women’s rights and LGBT rights. In both scenarios, government cooption of the cause can be problematic. However, I will address whether cooption stemming from homegrown support is more or less problematic from the standpoint of a rights advocate. This analysis requires us to identify underlying motives, a question I look at through the framework of interest convergence theory.

Full Article: State Cooption and the Search for Converging Interests

Subjects: International Law, Race, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Trafficking