The Developmental Dialectic of International Human-Rights Advocacy

This article describes the psychological processes leading to international human-rights advocacy. Based upon a series offocus group interviews with international human-rights advocates, the findings suggest that the developmental processes leading to human-rights advocacy can be described as a dialectic between one's view of society and one's self-concept. Self-concept vis-A-vis society then figures prominently as a rationalefor taking action, as advocates act to maintain a sense of congruency between self-concept and behavior. The paper outlines the specific self-concept characteristics of advocates, their perspectives of their society, and how the interaction of the two can result in political advocacy for the rights of those outside one's own group.