MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 02266cam a22003374a 4500
001 2011038042
003 DLC
005 20120224085140.0
008 110914s2011 nyu b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2011038042
020 $a9780393079005 (hardcover)
020 $a0393079007 (hardcover)
035 $a(OCoLC)ocn711051790
040 $aDLC$cDLC$dYDX$dBTCTA$dRCJ$dYDXCP$dCDX$dBWX$dBUR$dDLC
042 $apcc
050 00 $aJC571$b.F629 2011
082 00 $a323$223
100 1 $aFord, Richard T.$q(Richard Thompson)
245 10 $aUniversal rights down to earth /$cRichard Thompson Ford.
250 $a1st ed.
260 $aNew York :$bW. W. Norton & Co.,$cc2011.
300 $a141 p. ;$c22 cm.
490 1 $aAmnesty International global ethics series
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 127-132) and index.
520 $aThe 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.
505 0 $aRights in theory -- Rights in practice -- Conclusion.
650 0 $aHuman rights$xSocial aspects.
650 0 $aHuman rights$xSocial aspects$vCase studies.
650 0 $aHuman rights$xPolitical aspects.
650 0 $aHuman rights$xPolitical aspects$vCase studies.
830 0 $aAmnesty International global ethics series.