The aim of this volume is to understand, from an anthropological perspective, the consequences of the rise of rights discussions and institutions in both local and global politics. Its chapters develop what could be termed a social critique of rights agendas and the legal process, examining how these construct certain types of subjects, such as victims and perpetrators, and certain types of act, such as common crimes versus crimes against humanity.
Bringing together ethnographic perspectives from Europe, North America, India and South Africa, this volume restores the social dimension to rights processes, and suggests some ethical alternatives to current practice.