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Summary:

The idea of universal rights--rights shared by all, regardless of nationality, creed, wealth, or geography--has a powerful grip on the way many people feel about justice and global politics. No one should be subjected to torture or disappearance, to starvation or sex trafficking, to economic exploitation or biased treatment under the law. But when it comes to actually enforcing these rights, the results rarely resemble the ideal. In this bold new book, legal expert Richard Thompson Ford reveals how attempts to apply "universal" human rights principles to specific cultures can hinder humanitarian causes and sometimes even worsen conditions for citizens. Ford explores cases ranging from food distribution to the poor in India to sex work in Japan, illustrating how a rights-based approach to these problems often impedes more effective pragmatic measures. The bad news is that improving lives worldwide isn't as easy as making a declaration. But the good news, as Ford demonstrates, is that if we are clear-eyed and culturally aware, it can be done.--From publisher description.

Table of Contents:

• Rights in theory
• Rights in practice
• Conclusion.

Author/Creator:

Ford, Richard T. (Richard Thompson)

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Universal rights down to earth [by Ford, R.T.]

Related Series:

Amnesty International global ethics series

Subjects:

Human rights — Social aspects

Human rights — Social aspects — Case studies

Human rights — Political aspects

Human rights — Political aspects — Case studies

Human rights

Genres:

Case studies

General Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Physical Description:

141 pages ; 22 cm.

Call Numbers:

JC571 .F629 2011

ISBNs:

9780393079005 (hardcover)
0393079007 (hardcover)

Library of Congress Control Numbers:

2011038042

OCLC Numbers:

711051790