Human rights : an interdisciplinary approach

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Title:

Author:

Freeman, Michael, 1936-

ISBN:

9780745639666

9780745639659

Personal Author:

Freeman, Michael, 1936-

Edition:

2nd ed.

Publication Information:

Cambridge : Polity, c2011.

Physical Description:

xi, 241 p. ; 22 cm.

Series:

Key concepts

Key concepts.

General Note:

Previous ed.: Oxford: Polity, 2002.

Formerly CIP.

Contents:

Introduction: thinking about human rights -- Origins : the rise and fall of natural rights -- After 1945 : the new age of rights -- Theories of human rights -- The role of the social sciences -- Universality, diversity and difference : culture and human rights -- The politics of human rights -- Globalization, development and poverty : economics and human rights -- Human rights in the twenty-first century.

Abstract:

Introducing readers to the theory and practice of human rights, this text emphasises how the experiences of the victims of human rights violations are related to legal, philosophical and social-scientific approaches to human rights.

Subject Term:

Human rights.

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025583093	323 F855H 2011	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Human Rights is an introductory text that is both innovative and challenging. It invites students to think conceptually about one of the most important and influential political concepts of our time. In this unique interdisciplinary approach, Michael Freeman emphasizes the complex ways in which the experiences of the victims of human rights violations are related to legal, philosophical and social-scientific approaches to human rights.

By tracing the history of the concept, the book shows that there is a fundamental tension between the philosophy of human rights and the way in which it is understood in the social sciences. This analysis throws light on some of the most controversial issues in the field: Is the idea of the universality of human rights consistent with respect for cultural difference? Are there collective human rights? Should feminists embrace, revise or reject the idea of human rights? Does the idea of human rights distract our attention from the structural causes of oppression and exploitation? What are the underlying causes of human rights violations; and why do some countries have much worse human rights records than others?

The book will appeal to students in the social sciences, as well as students of human rights law who want an introduction to the non-legal aspects of their subject. It will also be read by scholars interested in ethics and the social sciences, as well as the general reader. This is a substantially revised edition that takes account of recent events such as the 'war on terror' and the global economic crisis of 2008.