The Sociology of Human Rights

<p>Mark Frezzo invites sociologists to join others (politicalscientists, economists, anthropologists) to engage human rightsboth empirically and theoretically. (We should have been there allalong since human rights are embedded in societies, communities,social relations.) His invitation is especially attractive, becausehe challenges us to take on such cutting-edge issues as globalinequalities, environmental sustainability, and the socialimplications of climate change. Judith Blau, University of North Carolina <p>Through careful theoretical and pedagogic reflections MarkFrezzo introduces us to the concepts of rights conditions, rightsclaims, rights effects, and rights bundles as a way to to thinksociologically about rights in the era of globalization. And byexpanding the epistemic community of human rights invites us all toparticipate in defining and solving the human rights puzzles of ourtime. Manisha Desai, University of Connecticut Mark Frezzo adds a sociological voice to the human rightsconversation, which has so far been dominated by the disciplines oflaw and international relations. If readers wish to study rightsclaims of social and global movements, sociological tools remainindispensable to assess their progress. The Sociology of HumanRights defends a nuanced form of universalism in an age ofskepticism and upholds people s capacity for change.Frezzo s refreshing engagement is a significant contributionto the field of human rights. Micheline Ishay, University of Denver