Norms in Contention: Human Rights Across Social, Gendered and Religious Conformity and Non-conformity

This chapter interrogates the complexity of recognition and the social and cultural mechanisms that contradict the presumptions of Universal Human Rights. It considers how such complexity and mechanisms complicate crime prevention and transformation as a key focus of the study of criminology through the effect of reproducing harmful norms that contend with the principles of human rights for all. It evaluates complexity and contradictions at points of collision with ideologies, identities and practices deemed conforming or non-conforming to social prescriptions and expectations. Through the example of clashing claims to rights between religious perspectives, cultural traditions and Transgendered/Lesbian/Gay realities, the paper troubles presumptions of normativity and deservingness as preconditions to access to Human Rights. It situates such considerations as crucial to sustainable prevention strategies and the innovation of such as a key concern of Caribbean criminology, as it evaluates state structures and systems that classify, sanction and accommodate.