Bård A. Andreassen - Böcker

Human Rights, Power and Civic Action examines the interrelationship between struggles for human rights and the dynamics of power, focusing on situations of poverty and oppression in developing countries. It is argued that the concept of power is a relatively neglected one in the study of rights-based approaches to development, especially the ways in which structures and relations of power can limit human rights advocacy. Therefore this book focuses on how local and national struggles for rights have been constrained by power relations and structural inequalities, as well as the extent to which civic action has been able to challenge, alter or transform such power structures, and simultaneously to enhance protection of people’s basic human rights. Contributors examine and compare struggles to advance human rights by non-governmental actors in Cambodia, China, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The country case-studies analyse structures of power responsible for the negation and denial of human rights, as well as how rights-promoting organisations challenge such structures. Utilising a comparative approach, the book provides empirically grounded studies leading to new theoretical understanding of the interrelationships between human rights struggles, power and poverty reduction. Human Rights, Power and Civic Action will be of interest to students and scholars of human rights politics, power, development, and governance.

In this thoroughly revised second edition, editors Bård A. Andreassen, Claire Methven O’Brien and Hans-Otto Sano continue to advance current discussions on human rights research methodology, bringing together an array of leading scholars to offer instruction and guidance on different approaches to the subject area.Research Methods in Human Rights bridges the methodological deficit that is often compounded by the interdisciplinary nature of human rights research, providing an up-to-date assessment of the topic. New chapters include discussions of comparative human rights law, qualitative methods of data generation and analysis, methodological challenges facing human rights-based approaches, and the impact of new and emerging digital technologies. Crucially, the book effectively explores the complexities which arise when conducting human rights research at the crossroads of different academic disciplines, and puts forward an agenda for best practice.Offering a contemporary overview of this ever-evolving subject, this Research Handbook will be an excellent reference tool for academics, researchers and students in human rights, law and development, public international law and development studies. Given the recent prominence of human rights discourse at both national and international levels, this book will also be of great benefit to human rights practitioners and policy-makers.

Human Rights, Power and Civic Action examines the interrelationship between struggles for human rights and the dynamics of power, focusing on situations of poverty and oppression in developing countries. It is argued that the concept of power is a relatively neglected one in the study of rights-based approaches to development, especially the ways in which structures and relations of power can limit human rights advocacy. Therefore this book focuses on how local and national struggles for rights have been constrained by power relations and structural inequalities, as well as the extent to which civic action has been able to challenge, alter or transform such power structures, and simultaneously to enhance protection of people’s basic human rights. Contributors examine and compare struggles to advance human rights by non-governmental actors in Cambodia, China, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The country case-studies analyse structures of power responsible for the negation and denial of human rights, as well as how rights-promoting organisations challenge such structures. Utilising a comparative approach, the book provides empirically grounded studies leading to new theoretical understanding of the interrelationships between human rights struggles, power and poverty reduction. Human Rights, Power and Civic Action will be of interest to students and scholars of human rights politics, power, development, and governance.

International human rights law is undoubtedly intertwined with politics. This Research Handbook explores and provokes reflection on how politics impacts human rights legislation and, conversely, how human rights law shapes politics and the functioning of the state.Bringing together leading international scholars in human rights law and politics, the Research Handbook provides theoretical reflections and empirical analyses across the areas of governance and policies and examines the implementation mechanisms of human rights law in national and international jurisdictions. Chapters discuss issues such as the mobilization of human rights in developing countries, the politics of torture and resource allocation, and the influence of politics on international institutions. It also presents a critical analysis of the human rights regimes in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and how the state works in ways which respect the ethics and values of human rights law.Providing a comprehensive overview of the reciprocal relationship between politics and human rights legislation, this Research Handbook will be essential reading for students and academics in human rights, international politics, law and politics, and public policy.