The development and study of human rights have increased significantly over time and have seen an intensified interest at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Much can be learned about the status of universal human rights by approaching the subject from regional perspectives. These diverse vantage points shed new light on the importance and complexity of the issues.

 

David P. Forsythe and Patrice C. McMahon have brought together a collection of essays from top scholars in their fields. Each essay examines how a region, as defined by geography or culture, affects the standards and practice of human rights in a particular area. The issues discussed include human rights and child labor in South Asia, women’s rights in Muslim states, the prospects and challenges of human rights in the Middle East, the role of women and tradition in Africa, and accommodating diversity in Europe. The collection also includes essays commenting on the parameters and intersections of international human rights in relation to area studies.

David P. Forsythe is Charles J. Mach Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska. He is the author of several books, including Human Rights in International Relations, and the editor of The United States and Human Rights (Nebraska 2000). Patrice C. McMahon is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nebraska. She is writing a book on transnationalism and the management of ethnic conflict in Central Europe.