Children's Rights: From Philosophy to Public Policy

by Mhairi Cowden

Overview

Despite the existence of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child there still exists a debate on whether children can really hold rights. This book presents a clear theory of children's rights by examining controversial case studies. The author presents a pathway to translating rights into practical social and political instruments for change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137492272
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	11/17/2015
Edition description:	1st ed. 2016
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Mhairi Cowden is a Policy Officer within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet for the Government of Western Australia.

Table of Contents

Table of contents

List of illustrations

Preface

PART I

1. Introduction

2. What is Special about Children?

3. Why Children do not hold Rights

4. Capacity and Competence

5. Why Children have Rights

PART II

6. A Right to Develop

7. A Right to Know

8. A Right to Medical Decision Making

9. A Right to be Loved

10. A Future for Children ' 's Rights

References

Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This is an accessible and erudite engagement with controversial and highly important human rights issues. The book makes a significant and original contribution to a long-neglected area of study in the otherwise voluminous literature around human rights." Katharine Gelber, Professor of Political Science and International Studies and ARC Future Fellow, University of Queensland, Australia

"Guided by the innovative use of the concepts of capacity and competence, [this book] offers a refreshingly original look at children's rights. Written in clear and direct language, empirically well informed, and with a sophisticated grasp of the philosophical issues at stake, it re-invigorates the debate on what such rights demand of us, especially in several difficult and contentious areas of public policy." David Archard, Professor of Philosophy, Queen's University, Belfast, UK

"The Convention onthe Rights of the Child is the most ratified treaty in the world, yet observed more in the breach than enactment. Cowden tackles this head authoritatively on by responding to the gap between our aspirations regarding the fulfillment of child rights, and the barriers to adequate policy implementation. [This book] is a welcome resource for anyone who has an interest in how we make the fundamental rights of children a reality." - Norman Gillespie, CEO of UNICEF Australia

Editorial Reviews

"This is an accessible and erudite engagement with controversial and highly important human rights issues. The book makes a significant and original contribution to a long-neglected area of study in the otherwise voluminous literature around human rights." Katharine Gelber, Professor of Political Science and International Studies and ARC Future Fellow, University of Queensland, Australia

"Guided by the innovative use of the concepts of capacity and competence, [this book] offers a refreshingly original look at children's rights. Written in clear and direct language, empirically well informed, and with a sophisticated grasp of the philosophical issues at stake, it re-invigorates the debate on what such rights demand of us, especially in several difficult and contentious areas of public policy." David Archard, Professor of Philosophy, Queen's University, Belfast, UK

"The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most ratified treaty in the world, yet observed more in the breach than enactment. Cowden tackles this head authoritatively on by responding to the gap between our aspirations regarding the fulfillment of child rights, and the barriers to adequate policy implementation. [This book] is a welcome resource for anyone who has an interest in how we make the fundamental rights of children a reality." - Norman Gillespie, CEO of UNICEF Australia

From the Publisher