The Politics of Human Rights: A Global Perspective

by Tony Evans

Overview

In the past, violations of human rights were commonly portrayed as atrocities perpetrated by tyrannical dictatorships. Today, the images of torture at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, put the lie to this assumption. State violations of human rights have a global reach. Tony Evan's introduction to the politics of human rights examines the impact of globalisation on global human rights. He argues that the state's role in protecting and promoting rights has been severely weakened under globalisation - and that the emerging global order may be a cause of many human rights violations. As the value of the market grows, the value of individual human rights decreases. The Politics of Human Rights departs from traditional interpretations of human rights by focusing on the political economy of human rights, rather than on the philosophical or legal aspects.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745323732
Publisher:	Pluto Press
Publication date:	07/20/2005
Series:	Human Security in the Global Economy Series
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.32(w) x 8.46(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Elaine C. Hagopian is Professor Emerita of Sociology, Simmons College, Boston.

Table of Contents

Foreword 

1 The Politics of Universal Human Rights

2 The Discourse of Universal Human Rights 

3 International Human Rights Law and Global Politics 

4 The Political Economy of Human Rights 

5 Globalization, Democracy and Human Rights 

6 The Promise of Global Community and Human Rights

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

Evans (politics, University of Southampton, UK) argues that globalization weakens traditionally held assumptions about the development and implementation of human rights. He departs from traditional approaches to human rights by focusing on the political economy of human rights rather than on philosophical or legal aspects. He analyzes how issues related to globalization, such as the environment, population movements, and free trade, impact on individual rights. In conclusion, he contends that the political economy provides a context that should alert us to pressing problems. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

'A humane and engaging polemic against globalization on the grounds that it undermines human rights and retards democratization.' --Global Review of Ethnopolitics

'A very useful book for those who wish to understand the position of human rights in today's world.' -- Peace News

'This book will appeal to critics of human rights and to those who question the growing, increasingly mainstream, political influence of rights discourse.' --International Relations

From the Publisher