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The Case for Mars: A Critical Discourse Analysis on Human Rights, Borders, and Privilege

Beria, Sophie LU (2022) MRSM15 20221
Human Rights Studies
Abstract
This thesis is inspired by the lack of academic discourse on human rights aspects of human space settlement. It builds on the ever-growing literature on colonizing Mars and the ongoing public debate on the benefits versus disadvantages thereof. Taking on a critical approach, this thesis opens up a conversation on power, universalism, and legitimacy within space exploration, questioning both the ontologies and epistemologies of human rights when taken out of the context of Earth. The purpose is to analyze society’s fascination with outer space and examine our collective assumptions when it comes to the applicability of human rights. The thesis analyses both legal and astronomy narratives on space settlement through the lens of Theories of... (More)
This thesis is inspired by the lack of academic discourse on human rights aspects of human space settlement. It builds on the ever-growing literature on colonizing Mars and the ongoing public debate on the benefits versus disadvantages thereof. Taking on a critical approach, this thesis opens up a conversation on power, universalism, and legitimacy within space exploration, questioning both the ontologies and epistemologies of human rights when taken out of the context of Earth. The purpose is to analyze society’s fascination with outer space and examine our collective assumptions when it comes to the applicability of human rights. The thesis analyses both legal and astronomy narratives on space settlement through the lens of Theories of Ideology, aiming to merge the two discursive threads into a unified narrative. The methodologies adopted throughout the research are literature mapping and critical discourse analysis. The results confirm that the human rights and anthropological aspects of human space settlement are neglected in the existing literature due to the fact that the spacefaring nations see Mars colonies as extensions of their own nations, as opposed to separate entities. While this is further strengthened by the legal regulations set on space exploration, it opposes the public political stance, which claims that Outer Space is the common heritage of humankind; therefore, exploring it shall be a joint effort. (Less)
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author
Beria, Sophie LU
supervisor
organization
course
MRSM15 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
human mars settlement, Mars, space colonization, human rights, nation-state, ideological narratives, critical discourse analysis
language
English
id
9098517
date added to LUP
2022-09-19 09:22:04
date last changed
2022-09-19 09:22:04
@misc{9098517,
  abstract     = {{This thesis is inspired by the lack of academic discourse on human rights aspects of human space settlement. It builds on the ever-growing literature on colonizing Mars and the ongoing public debate on the benefits versus disadvantages thereof. Taking on a critical approach, this thesis opens up a conversation on power, universalism, and legitimacy within space exploration, questioning both the ontologies and epistemologies of human rights when taken out of the context of Earth. The purpose is to analyze society’s fascination with outer space and examine our collective assumptions when it comes to the applicability of human rights. The thesis analyses both legal and astronomy narratives on space settlement through the lens of Theories of Ideology, aiming to merge the two discursive threads into a unified narrative. The methodologies adopted throughout the research are literature mapping and critical discourse analysis. The results confirm that the human rights and anthropological aspects of human space settlement are neglected in the existing literature due to the fact that the spacefaring nations see Mars colonies as extensions of their own nations, as opposed to separate entities. While this is further strengthened by the legal regulations set on space exploration, it opposes the public political stance, which claims that Outer Space is the common heritage of humankind; therefore, exploring it shall be a joint effort.}},
  author       = {{Beria, Sophie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Case for Mars: A Critical Discourse Analysis on Human Rights, Borders, and Privilege}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}