Human Rights and Radical Social Transformation: Futurity, Alterity, Power

Book Details

• Publisher: Routledge

• Author: Kathryn McNeilly

• Language: English

• ISBN: 9780367191764

• Binding: Paperback

• Release Date: 10-01-2018

• Pages: 174

• Package Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches

About the Book

"Human Rights and Radical Social Transformation" presents a critical intervention into the ongoing debate surrounding the role of human rights in challenging oppressive systems of power. Against the backdrop of sociopolitical crises, where radical activism is increasingly seen as necessary to confront systemic injustice, this book reevaluates the potential of human rights to contribute to radical social change.

Drawing from critical legal theory, radical democratic thinking, and feminist perspectives, Kathryn McNeilly presents a bold exploration of how human rights can be reconceived. The book introduces the concept of ‘human rights to come’, a vision of human rights that is futural, constantly evolving, and able to maintain a critical stance towards power. This perspective opens up possibilities for using human rights as a tool not merely to reinforce liberal and capitalist systems, but as a transformative force capable of disrupting them.

Key Themes:

• Radical Reinterpretation of Human Rights: Proposes a forward-thinking, transformative approach to human rights that challenges prevailing political ideologies.

• The Role of Activism: Explores how activists and thinkers can harness human rights as part of a broader struggle for social transformation and justice.

• Critical Engagement with Power: Advocates for a re-engagement with human rights that questions existing power structures and seeks to deconstruct oppressive ideologies.

This book is ideal for students and scholars interested in critical legal theory, human rights, and radical social change. It will also resonate with activists seeking to understand the untapped potential of human rights as an instrument for social transformation.