ABSTRACT
In 1993 Bryan Turner explored and proposed the creation of a theory of human rights within the discipline of sociology. Over the last two decades, several sociologists have focused on understanding the value of moving beyond the limited engagement of our discipline in normative debates (Waters 1996; Hafner-Burton and Tsutsui 2005; Blau and Frezzo 2011). In the summer of 2005, Michael Burawoy, in his presidential address to the American Sociological Association, called for a public sociology and stressed our responsibility to focus on understanding and preventing the devastation of society. He highlighted the widespread appeal of human rights as a framework to ensure human dignity and stand against human atrocities.
