Michael Stohl – författare

Today a billion people, including about 340 million of the world''s extreme poor, are estimated to live in ''fragile states''. This group of low-income countries are often trapped in cycles of conflict and poverty, which make them acutely vulnerable to a range of shocks and crises.

This engaging book defines and clarifies what we mean by fragile states, examining their characteristics in relation to "weak" and "failed" states in the global system, and explaining their development from pre-colonial times to the present day. It explores the connections between fragile statehood and violent conflict, and analyses the limitations of outside intervention from international society. The complexities surrounding ''successes'' such as Costa Rica and Botswana - countries which ought to be fragile, but which are not - are analysed alongside the more precarious cases of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Haiti.

Absorbing and authoritative, Fragile States will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of international relations, security studies and development.

Terrorism and crime are two areas of knowledge that have traditionally been looked at independently. In this timely and original text, two of the leading authors in the field provide a clear and thorough look at terrorism from a criminological perspective.

Integrating the latest research, the book explores the motives of criminals and terrorists, the causes of crime and terrorism and the impact of the law and the legal system. Central to this exploration, the authors examine the nexus between criminal and terrorist organizations, and the commonalities and differences between them and what this means for public policy and safety and security within states.

Cross-cultural and international in perspective, this is a fresh and original text that will appeal to undergraduates, academics, and researchers in criminology, politics, international relations, sociology, communication and cultural studies.

Compact Criminology is an exciting series that invigorates and challenges the international field of criminology. 

Books in the series are short, authoritative, innovative assessments of emerging issues in criminology and criminal justice – offering critical, accessible introductions to important topics.  They take a global rather than a narrowly national approach.  Eminently readable and first-rate in quality, each book is written by a leading specialist.

Compact Criminology provides a new type of tool for teaching, learning and research, one that is flexible and light on its feet. The series addresses fundamental needs in the growing and increasingly differentiated field of criminology.

Expanding Human Rights gives a comprehensive overview of current human rights issues and the outlook for the future. The contributors present evidence of new methods for enforcing existing rights and new strategies for further development through in-depth analysis of campaigns and reforms from Eastern Europe, Japan, India, Africa and the US. These include rights of indigenous peoples, food and water rights, violence against women, child mortality and international financial and corporate responsibility.

This book will interest academics and advanced students in human rights, international affairs, political science and law. Policy makers and global human rights activists will find the analyses and insights concerning the expansion of rights and the often accompanying backlash to be of great use when approaching their next human rights campaign.

Contributors include: J. Alley, C. Apodaca, P. Ayoub, M. Baer, A. Brysk, S. Hertel, R. Howard-Hassmann, V. Hudson, F.G. Isa, H. Jo, W. Sandholtz, C. Stohl, M. Stohl, K. Tsutsui

Through an examination of both global and local challenges to human rights, including loopholes, backlash, accountability, and new opportunities to move forward, the expert contributors analyze trends across multiple-issue areas. These include; international institutions, humanitarian action, censorship and communications, discrimination, human trafficking, counter-terrorism, corporate social responsibility and civil society and social movements. The topical chapters also provide a comprehensive review of the widening citizenship gaps in human rights coverage for refugees, women’s rights in patriarchal societies, and civil liberties in chronic conflict.

This timely study will be invaluable reading for academics, upper-level undergraduates, and those studying graduate courses relating to international relations, human rights, and global governance.

Contributors include: K. Ainley, G. Andreopolous, C. Apodaca, P. Ayoub, Y. Bei, N. Bennett, K. Caldwell, F. Cherif, M. Etter, J. Faust, S. Ganesh, F. Gomez Isa, A. Jimenez-Bacardi, N. Katona, B. Linder, K. Lukas, J. Planitzer, W. Sandholtz, G. Shafir, C. Stohl, M. Stohl, A. Vestergaard, C. Wright

Contesting Human Rights traces the balance between the dynamics of diffusion, resistance and innovation in the field. The book examines a range of issues from the effectiveness of norm-promotion by advocacy campaigns to the backlash facing human rights advocates. The expert contributors suggest that new opportunities at and below the state level, and creative contests of global governance, can help reconstruct human rights in the face of modern challenges. Critical case studies trace new pathways emerging in the United Nations'' Universal Periodic Review, regional human rights courts, constitutional incorporation of international norms, and human rights cities.

With its innovative approach to human rights and comprehensive coverage of global, national and regional trends, Contesting Human Rights will be an invaluable tool for scholars and students of human rights, global governance, law and politics. It will also be useful for human rights advocates with a keen interest in the evolution of the human rights landscape.

Contributors include: G. Andreopoulos, C. Apodaca, P.M. Ayoub, A. Brysk, P. Elizalde, A. Feldman, M. Goodhart, C. Hillebrecht, P.C. McMahon, S. Meili, M. Mullinax, A. Murdie, B. Park, W. Sandholtz, M. Stohl

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary.

This Research Agenda maps thought-provoking research trends for the next generation of interdisciplinary human rights scholars in this particularly troubled time. It charts the historic trajectory of scholarship on the international rights regime, looking ahead to emerging areas of inquiry and suggesting alternative methods and perspectives for studying the pursuit of human dignity.

Chapters written by international experts cover a broad range of topics including humanitarianism, transitional justice, economic rights, academic freedom, women''s rights, environmental justice, and business responsibility for human rights. The book highlights the importance of contemporary research agendas for human rights being centred on questions of governance and fulfilment, shifting responsibilities, rights interdependence and global inequality.

This is a critical read for students and scholars of human rights law, politics and international relations. The strong forward-looking agenda and coverage of a large number of fields within human rights studies will be helpful for advanced students looking for new areas of study for research projects.