About the Book

Bringing together key selections that represent the full range of philosophical debates, policy analyses, and first-hand accounts, the editors offers a comprehensive and accessible set of readings on the major themes and issues in the field of international human rights. The reader has been carefully designed to enhance students understanding not only of human rights, but also of differing perspectives on the topic.

About the Author

Rhonda L. Callway is assistant propfessor of political science at Sam Houston State University. Julie Harrelson-Stephens is assistant professor of political science at Stephen F. Austin University.

Table of Contents:
What are Human Rights?: Introduction • What are human rights? • What future for economic and social rights? • Basic rights • The philosophical foundations of human rights • Measuring Human Rights: Introduction • The Limitations of using quantitative data in studying human rights abuses • Measuring human rights: Some issues and options • The Political terror scale • How are these pictures different? A quantitative comparison of the US state department and amnesty international human rights reports,1976-1995 • Using the physical quality of life index to explore the level of subsistence rights • International Law and Organizations in the Fight for Human Rights: Introduction • The normative and institutional evolution of international human rights • The international criminal court controversy • Refugee flows as grounds for international action • Activists beyond borders: advocacy networks in international politics • Are Human Rights Universal?: Introduction • The rhetoric of asian values • Relativism and universalism in human Rights: The case of the islamic middle east • American muslims and a meaningful human rights discourse in the aftermath of September 11,2001 • Restraining universalism: Africanist perspectives on cultural relativism in the human rights discourse • Witness to Torture: Introduction • Auschwitz: A doctor’s eyewitness account • A cambodian odyssey • One day in my life • The tenth circle of hell • Machete season • Gender-Based Repression: Introduction • Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy • Trafficking in women’s bodies, then and now: The issue of military "comfort women" • Rights of women within islamic communities • Female circumcision comes to america • Children as Targets: Introduction • Child labor as a human rights Issue: Efforts, mistakes, and solutions, • Child marriage in afghanistan and pakistan • Child slaves in modern India: The bonded labor problem • The sex trade industry’s worldwide exploitation of children • The political economy of war-affected children • Globalization and Human Rights: Introduction • Achieving human rights: The globalization debate• Globalization and human rights • The tragedy of tauccamarca: A human rights perspective on the pesticide poisoning deaths of 24 children in the peruvian andes • Strategic violations: The outsourcing of human rights abuses, • The singer solution to world poverty • Human Rights in the War on Terror: Introduction • Human rights violations as a catalyst for terrorist activity • Leading by example? U.S. interrogation of prisoners in the war on terror • Human rights post – September 11, • Index