Two Cultures of Rights: The Quest for Inclusion and Participation in Modern America and Germany (Publications of the German Historical Institute)

This book addresses key issues in the historical struggle for civil rights, political rights, and social rights in the United States and Germany from the late nineteenth century to the present. The essays address issues such as the struggle for the rights of women and minorities (including African Americans, Jews, and Asians), National Socialism and the dismantling of civil rights, and the emergence of the concept of social rights. What becomes clear are the unique features that distinguish German from American history and that these differences have been created by both social movements and dissimilar cultures of rights. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Contributors......Page 11 Introduction......Page 13 PART ONE Race, Immigration, and Rights......Page 29 I......Page 31 II......Page 40 2 Individual Right and Collective Interests......Page 45 I......Page 47 II......Page 50 III......Page 56 IV......Page 61 V......Page 68 3 Securing Rights by Action, Securing Rights by Default......Page 71 4 From Civil Rights to Civic Death......Page 89 FLASHBACK TO 1924......Page 93 THE NAZIS ASSUME POWER......Page 99 5 The Rights of Aliens in Germany and the United States......Page 107 THE TRANSFORMATION OF IMMIGRATION LAW IN THE UNITED STATES......Page 108 BASIC LAW TO THE RESCUE: ALIEN RIGHTS IN GERMANY......Page 116 CONCLUSION......Page 125 PART TWO Civil and Social Rights......Page 131 6 “The Right to Work Is the Right to Live!”......Page 133 THE RIGHT TO WORK......Page 136 WORKING-CLASS VOICES......Page 148 CONCLUSION......Page 153 7 Social Rights and Citizenship During World War II......Page 155 A “NEW ECONOMIC ORDER” IN EUROPE: THE GERMAN PROPAGANDA OFFENSIVE......Page 156 A NEW BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE UNITED STATES?......Page 161 RIGHTS, CITIZENSHIP, AND SOCIAL SECURITY......Page 166 THE IMPACT OF THE BEVERIDGE REPORT......Page 169 MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY......Page 174 CONCLUSION......Page 177 8 Just Desserts......Page 179 I......Page 201 II......Page 205 III......Page 209 IV......Page 210 V......Page 215 10 The Emerging Right to Information......Page 217 THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF A RIGHT TO INFORMATION......Page 220 EXPERIENCE WITH GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED INFORMATION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY......Page 221 EARLY INFORMATION POLICY INITIATIVES......Page 224 THE INFORMATION SOCIETY OF THE 1990S......Page 226 INFORMATION EQUITY......Page 229 TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMICS ISSUES IN INFORMATION EQUITY......Page 232 UNIVERSAL SERVICE......Page 233 ADDITIONAL EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS......Page 235 CONCLUSIONS......Page 237 PART THREE Gender, Sex, and Rights......Page 241 11 Feminist Movements in the United States and Germany......Page 243 12 Minorities, Civil Rights, and Political Culture......Page 261 TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS......Page 262 Germany: The Infamous Paragraph 175......Page 264 The United States – Federalism at Work......Page 269 THE PENAL CODE AND SOCIETY AT LARGE......Page 270 The Scientific–Humanitarian Committee......Page 272 From Mattachine to Stonewall......Page 277 STONEWALL AND BEYOND......Page 281 Index......Page 285 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Contributors 11 Introduction 13 PART ONE Race, Immigration, and Rights 29 1 Asian Americans 31 I 31 II 40 2 Individual Right and Collective Interests 45 I 47 II 50 III 56 IV 61 V 68 3 Securing Rights by Action, Securing Rights by Default 71 4 From Civil Rights to Civic Death 89 FLASHBACK TO 1924 93 THE NAZIS ASSUME POWER 99 5 The Rights of Aliens in Germany and the United States 107 THE TRANSFORMATION OF IMMIGRATION LAW IN THE UNITED STATES 108 BASIC LAW TO THE RESCUE: ALIEN RIGHTS IN GERMANY 116 CONCLUSION 125 PART TWO Civil and Social Rights 131 6 “The Right to Work Is the Right to Live!” 133 THE RIGHT TO WORK 136 WORKING-CLASS VOICES 148 CONCLUSION 153 7 Social Rights and Citizenship During World War II 155 A “NEW ECONOMIC ORDER” IN EUROPE: THE GERMAN PROPAGANDA OFFENSIVE 156 A NEW BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE UNITED STATES? 161 RIGHTS, CITIZENSHIP, AND SOCIAL SECURITY 166 THE IMPACT OF THE BEVERIDGE REPORT 169 MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY 174 CONCLUSION 177 8 Just Desserts 179 9 The Political Culture of Rights 201 I 201 II 205 III 209 IV 210 V 215 10 The Emerging Right to Information 217 THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF A RIGHT TO INFORMATION 220 EXPERIENCE WITH GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED INFORMATION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 221 EARLY INFORMATION POLICY INITIATIVES 224 THE INFORMATION SOCIETY OF THE 1990S 226 INFORMATION EQUITY 229 TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMICS ISSUES IN INFORMATION EQUITY 232 UNIVERSAL SERVICE 233 ADDITIONAL EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS 235 CONCLUSIONS 237 PART THREE Gender, Sex, and Rights 241 11 Feminist Movements in the United States and Germany 243 12 Minorities, Civil Rights, and Political Culture 261 TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS 262 FROM PERSECUTION TO PROMINENCE, 1897–1997 264 Germany: The Infamous Paragraph 175 264 The United States – Federalism at Work 269 THE PENAL CODE AND SOCIETY AT LARGE 270 STRATEGIES AND TACTICS: PETITIONS, PROPAGANDA, PROTESTS, AND PARADES 272 The Scientific–Humanitarian Committee 272 From Mattachine to Stonewall 277 STONEWALL AND BEYOND 281 Index 285 This collection addresses key issues in the historical struggle for civil rights, political rights and social rights in the United States and Germany from the late nineteenth century to the present. Using a cross-national comparative approach, this book presents national case studies that explore the similarities and differences of conceptualizing rights on both sides of the Atlantic. This book analyses the struggle for these rights by individuals and groups and how this struggle became an essential feature not only in political discourse but also in social and political practice and culture in both Germany and the United States. More specifically, the book examines the different ways rights have been denied due to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Considerable attention is given to the impact of Nazism and the struggle for social rights during and after World War II. This book addresses key issues in the historical struggle for civil rights, political rights, and social rights in the USA and Germany from the late nineteenth century to the present. Issues include the rights of women and minorities, National Socialism, and the emergence of the concept of social rights Papers of a conference held in Washington, D.C. in June 1997 and sponsored by the German Historical Institute The demand and struggle for rights has been the centerpiece of the deveolpment of modern citizenship.