Description
Book SynopsisElgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.
David P. Forsythe presents a compelling introduction to international human rights in a political context. He stresses the difficulties of interjecting human rights into foreign policy and international politics, while recognising the considerable progress that has been made over time. Focusing on international organizations, states, corporations, and private advocacy groups, Forsythe addresses key themes including war, migration, climate change, and slavery.
Key features include:
- a multidisciplinary approach that draws on findings in political science, law, diplomacy, history, and economics
- discussion of a broad range of both traditional and contemporary topics from the United Nations to the internet and pandemics
- an assessment of the progress made in promoting human rights and humanitarian ideas, and how these ideas translate into tangible improvements for human dignity.
Adopting a politically realistic and historically informed perspective, this Advanced Introduction will be a valuable resource for students of human rights, international relations, and political science.
Trade Review’This is a short but learned introduction to the politics of international human rights, comprehensive and up-to-date. Forsythe is skeptical of the role of human rights in international politics, yet not pessimistic. The book contains important chapters on international humanitarian law, business and human rights, the role of NGOs, and major challenges including climate change, migration, and gender relations. Clearly written and lacking jargon, it is definitely suitable for teaching purposes.’ -- - Rhoda Howard-Hassmann, Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights 2003-2016, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
’David Forsythe, a pioneer and leading authority in the study of international human rights politics, has now produced an up-to-date, accessible, introductory survey of the field, rich in examples, judiciously balancing the case for human rights with a structural-realist conception of international relations, thereby maintaining a safe distance from “utopian” optimism, on the one hand, and “post-human rights” pessimism, on the other.’ -- Michael Freeman, University of Essex, UK
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Politics and Human Rights 2. Organized International Relations 3. State Foreign Policies 4. The Business World 5. Private Non-Profit Actors 6. The Special Case of War 7. Major Challenges 8. Conclusion Index
