Legal Ideals and Normative Realities : A case study of children's rights and child labor activity in Paraguay
(2003) In Lund Studies in Sociology of Law 19.- Abstract
- The present study is composed of eight chapters relating to children's rights and child labor activity in the Republic of Paraguay. The problem of child labor in Paraguay is central for this study and the legal ideals that are intended to uphold and strengthen the rights of the child are described and contrasted with the present normative reality in which the children work and live. The discrepancy between the stipulated legal ideals and the normative reality for many Paraguayan children suggests that children's rights have a low priority for the local government in view of the achievements that have been made to improve the situation. The law has degenerated to become only a symbol, which is not likely to be enforced and exercised in... (More)
- The present study is composed of eight chapters relating to children's rights and child labor activity in the Republic of Paraguay. The problem of child labor in Paraguay is central for this study and the legal ideals that are intended to uphold and strengthen the rights of the child are described and contrasted with the present normative reality in which the children work and live. The discrepancy between the stipulated legal ideals and the normative reality for many Paraguayan children suggests that children's rights have a low priority for the local government in view of the achievements that have been made to improve the situation. The law has degenerated to become only a symbol, which is not likely to be enforced and exercised in relation to the rights of the child since this area does not encompass enough importance amongst the decision-makers and politicians. The general socio-legal situation reveals that the law is only utilized and operational for a privileged few in the Paraguayan society and hardly ever practiced by those citizens that belong to the society's socio-economically vulnerable groups with lack of resources, influence or knowledge. Poverty is one of the most influential factors giving rise to the subsistence of child labor, and poverty is in turn generated by the system conditions, which for decades has disfavored the poor and unprivileged citizens and consequently also their children. The present system conditions are still influenced by the previous norm system that was established during the repressive periods of dictatorship in Paraguay and the new democratic-based norms and values have considerable difficulties to gain ground. Many poor children in Paraguay have to work from an early age in order to contribute to their family's precarious survival needs, and their manual labor capacity is economically exploited in different ways. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna doktorsavhandling i Rättssociologi handlar om barns rättigheter och barnarbete i Paraguay. Problematiken kring barnarbete i Paraguay är central för avhandlingen och författaren har undersökt samt beskrivit de rättsliga ideal som är tänkta att upprätthålla och stärka det rättsliga skyddet för barns rättigheter. De rättsliga idealen kontrasteras sedemera mot den normativa realiteten som många barnarbete arbetar och lever i för att se huruvida de rättsliga idealen omsatts till praktiken eller ej.
Diskrepansen mellan de rättsliga idealen och den normativa realiteten för flertalet barn i Paraguay visar på att barns rättigheter har en låg prioritet för landets regering i... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna doktorsavhandling i Rättssociologi handlar om barns rättigheter och barnarbete i Paraguay. Problematiken kring barnarbete i Paraguay är central för avhandlingen och författaren har undersökt samt beskrivit de rättsliga ideal som är tänkta att upprätthålla och stärka det rättsliga skyddet för barns rättigheter. De rättsliga idealen kontrasteras sedemera mot den normativa realiteten som många barnarbete arbetar och lever i för att se huruvida de rättsliga idealen omsatts till praktiken eller ej.
Diskrepansen mellan de rättsliga idealen och den normativa realiteten för flertalet barn i Paraguay visar på att barns rättigheter har en låg prioritet för landets regering i relation till de åtgärder som gjorts för att förbättra situationen.
Lagar som berör barns rättigheter har degenererats och blivit endast en symbol som förmodligen inte kommer att i praktiken utövas då de inte äger en tillräcklig betydelse bland beslutsfattare och politiker. Den generella rättssociologiska situationen avslöjar att lagen endast är till för ett fåtal privilegierade i det Paraguayska samhället som besitter resurser eller kunskap att använda sig utav den. För de socio-ekonomiskt utsatta grupperna i samhället fungerar sällan det rättsliga skyddet då de saknar möjligheter eller kunskap att tillgodogöra sig sina rättigheter.
Fattigdom är en av de mest inflytesrika faktorerna för uppkomsten och existensen av barnarbete och fattigdom genereras i sin tur av systemvillkoren, som under decennier har missgynnat fattiga människor och följaktligen också deras barn.
De rådande systemvillkoren är fortfarande starkt influerade av de tidigare normsystemet som etablerades under diktaturåren i Paraguay och de nya demokratibaserade normerna och värdena har stora problem att göra sig gällande. Ett stort antal barn tvingas arbeta från en tidig ålder för att bidra till familjeförsörjningen och deras arbetskraft exploateras ekonomiskt på olika sätt. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/20970
- author
- Olsson, Patrik LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Dekeseredy, Walter
- organization
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- deficient infrastructure., exploitation, social injustice, social inequality, poverty, child soldiers, rural poverty, urban poverty, system conditions, will, values, norms, socio-legal, Paraguay, UNCRC, normative reality, legal ideals, Child labor, children's rights, Sociology of labour, sociology of enterprise, Juvenile law, Arbetslivssociologi, företagssociologi, Rätt rörande minderåriga
- in
- Lund Studies in Sociology of Law
- volume
- 19
- pages
- 178 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Carolinasalen, Kungshuset, Lund University
- defense date
- 2003-09-26 10:15:00
- external identifiers
-
- other:ISRN: LUSADG/SARS--03/1027--SE
- ISSN
- 1403-7246
- ISBN
- 91-7267-155-6
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4c3382cb-d2a3-4824-9748-be639ddddaaa (old id 20970)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:09:04
- date last changed
- 2021-03-08 11:25:12
@phdthesis{4c3382cb-d2a3-4824-9748-be639ddddaaa,
abstract = {{The present study is composed of eight chapters relating to children's rights and child labor activity in the Republic of Paraguay. The problem of child labor in Paraguay is central for this study and the legal ideals that are intended to uphold and strengthen the rights of the child are described and contrasted with the present normative reality in which the children work and live. The discrepancy between the stipulated legal ideals and the normative reality for many Paraguayan children suggests that children's rights have a low priority for the local government in view of the achievements that have been made to improve the situation. The law has degenerated to become only a symbol, which is not likely to be enforced and exercised in relation to the rights of the child since this area does not encompass enough importance amongst the decision-makers and politicians. The general socio-legal situation reveals that the law is only utilized and operational for a privileged few in the Paraguayan society and hardly ever practiced by those citizens that belong to the society's socio-economically vulnerable groups with lack of resources, influence or knowledge. Poverty is one of the most influential factors giving rise to the subsistence of child labor, and poverty is in turn generated by the system conditions, which for decades has disfavored the poor and unprivileged citizens and consequently also their children. The present system conditions are still influenced by the previous norm system that was established during the repressive periods of dictatorship in Paraguay and the new democratic-based norms and values have considerable difficulties to gain ground. Many poor children in Paraguay have to work from an early age in order to contribute to their family's precarious survival needs, and their manual labor capacity is economically exploited in different ways.}},
author = {{Olsson, Patrik}},
isbn = {{91-7267-155-6}},
issn = {{1403-7246}},
keywords = {{deficient infrastructure.; exploitation; social injustice; social inequality; poverty; child soldiers; rural poverty; urban poverty; system conditions; will; values; norms; socio-legal; Paraguay; UNCRC; normative reality; legal ideals; Child labor; children's rights; Sociology of labour; sociology of enterprise; Juvenile law; Arbetslivssociologi; företagssociologi; Rätt rörande minderåriga}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Studies in Sociology of Law}},
title = {{Legal Ideals and Normative Realities : A case study of children's rights and child labor activity in Paraguay}},
volume = {{19}},
year = {{2003}},
}