The concept of human rights became popular throughout the world in the 1970s, becoming a driving force behind political protest in the pre-1989 dissident movement in East Central Europe. Furthermore, recourse to human rights was a key element in drafting the 'new world order' of liberal universalism after 1989. However, human rights policy has increasingly faced opposition since then. Across Europe and in large parts of the world, authoritarian regimes and populist movements are challenging 'Western' universalistic ideas on human rights, attempting to expose them as a particular ideology directed against traditional family and cultural values.

This volume arose from the work of the Munich Kollegforschungsgruppe (an advanced study institution) on 'Universalism and Particularism in Contemporary European History'. Its international authors explore the dilemmas arising from the tension between the universalist idea of expanding human rights and its questioning. Topics include tendencies to de-universalize human rights, women's rights, and languages of human rights in Eastern Europe, as well as human rights in international relations.