Human Rights

Michael Goodhart is Professor of Political Science, Director of the Global Studies Center, and a University Honors College Faculty Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the author of Injustice: Political Theory for the Real World (OUP, 2018).

Overall, the Goodhart text provides an excellent thematic introduction to the study of human rights covering a wide range of issues and perspectives. The authors of this text provide an extensive array of suggestions for further reading to provide supplementation to this material for more advanced students at the graduate level.

• Notes on ContributorsIntroduction, Michael Goodhart Part I: Theory 1. The Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights, Anthony Langlois IntroductionThe Emergence of Rights LanguageModern Human RightsTypes of Human Rights: Liberty and Welfare RightsGroup RightsHuman Rights as a Political ProjectConclusion 2. Human Rights in International Law, Rhona Smith Introduction Historical Evolution of International Human Rights Law Sources of International Human Rights LawMonitoring and Enforcing International Human Rights LawConclusion 3. The Politics of Human Rights, Michael GoodhartIntroductionThe Invention of Human RightsWhy Are Human Rights Controversial?Thinking Politically about Human RightsConclusion 4. Feminist Approaches to Human Rights, Laura ParisiIntroductionWomen's Rights are Human Rights : Evolution of the DiscourseThe Structural Indivisibility of Rights and CEDAWGender Equality and Human Rights: Contemporary IssuesConclusion 5. Imperialism and Human Rights, Bonny Ibhawoh Introduction Linking Imperialism and Human RightsEmpire and AtrocityStrategic Human RightsSelf-Determination and Racial EqualityNationalism and DecolonizationConclusion 6. The Social Life of Human Rights, Damien Short IntroductionSociology of Human RightsAnthropology of Human RightsA Common Thread: The Social Construction of RightConclusion 7. Human Rights Claiming as a Performative Practice, Karen Zivi IntroductionThe Human Rights GapTheorizing PerformativityHuman Rights PerformativityConclusion Part II: Practice 8. Genocide, Scott Straus IntroductionThe Origins of the Concept of 'Genocide'Theories of GenocideCase Studies: Rwanda and DarfurRwandaDarfurConclusion 9. Humanitarian Intervention, Alan Kuperman Introduction to Humanitarian InterventionEvolving Concepts of InterventionMilitary InterventionObstacles to Effective InterventionUnintended Consequences of InterventionCase Study of Intervention: BosniaConclusion: Lessons of Humanitarian Intervention 10. Transitional Justice, Joanna Quinn Introduction Retributive JusticeRestorative Justice Reparative Justice Putting Transitional Justice into PracticeCase Study: Uganda Conclusion 11. Treaties, monitoring, and enforcement, Emily Ritter IntroductionInternational Treaty Creation and RatificationCompliance in Law and Action Monitoring ComplianceEnforcement in Instances of Non-ComplianceCase Study: The Black Lives Matter MovementConclusion 12. Political Democracy and State Repression, Christian DavenportIntroductionUnderstanding the Democracy-Repression NexusCase Studies: Democracy and Repression in the United States in Two Historical PeriodsThe Path to Peace: Directions for Future ResearchConclusion 13. Migration and Refugees, Gil Loescher & Kurt Mills Introduction Assessing the Problem The Problem of Defining Refugees The UNHCR, Human Rights, and the International Refugee Regime Case Study: Forced Displacement in Myanmar The Way Forward: The Need for New Alliances and New Actors Conclusion 14. Human Rights and the Environment, Sumudu Atapattu IntroductionWhat are environmental rights? Convergence between human rights and environmental protectionSynergies and challenges of using a human rights framework for environmental issuesRegional systems of human rightsEmergence of a right to a healthy environment and its implicationsCase study - Teitiota v. New Zealand Conclusion 15. Indigenous Rights and Language Sovereignty, Odilia Romero, Joseph Berra, & Shannon Speed IntroductionFrom erasure to sovereignty: a trajectory of reclamationThe imposition and persistence of settler colonial structuresHuman rights harms through the lens of Indigenous language knowledge keepersIdentity, language and sovereigntyConclusion 16. Social movements and human rights, Jackie SmithIntroductionSocial Movements and Human RightsThe Diffusion of Human RightsCase Study: Human Rights Cities "Bringing Human Rights Home"Human Rights Globalization & CitiesConclusion 17. Theory in Practice: Making Human Rights Claims in a Human Rights Way, Brooke Ackerly IntroductionUniversal Human Rights and Cultural Relativism Human Rights Struggles Case Study: Theory in PracticeConclusion 18. Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Human Rights, Cricket Keating and Cindy Burack IntroductionSexual Orientation and Gender Identity rights as human rightsOrganizing for SOGI human rightsCritiques of SOGI Human rights activismCase Study: Uganda Conclusion 19. Religion and Human Rights, Roja Fazaeli and Joel Hanisek IntroductionHistorical context of the relationshipA complex relationshipThe Masterpiece Cakeshop CaseThe Bahin CaseConclusion 20. The human right to water, Madeline BaerIntroductionDefining WaterThe Human Right to WaterPrivatization of WaterCreating the Human Right to Water in International LawCase Study: Bolivia Conclusion 21. The SDGs and economic rights, Inga Winkler & Matheus de Carvalho Hernandez IntroductionHistory and Development of the SDGsThe Reflection of Human Rights in the Sustainable Development AgendaAccountability: Central to Human Rights but not the SDGsCase Study: Reducing InequalitiesConclusion