Publisher's Synopsis
Universalization of Human Rights? explores the how- and why-questions of international politics after the Cold War. How do human rights as shared ideas constitute interests and actions of states and non-state actors in North-South relations? Why is international human rights politics so constructed as it is? Through an interdisciplinary prism, this book develops a multi-paradigm framework based on mainstream and critical IR theories and detects the meaning, possibilities, constraints, and effects of Western policies towards developing countries (with three case studies on China). It argues for a redefinition of attitudes and values that upholds a bi-directional exchange in international relations: The West and the developing world should seriously assess the socioeconomic, cultural, and historical plurality in international society and examine the viability of existing policy goals and options in light of mutual respect and responsibility.
