Social Work and Human Rights

Social Work and Human Rightsis a standard text underscoring the role of social work in protecting the rights of vulnerable populations, both within and outside of the United States. Through rigorous analysis, classroom exercises, and a frank discussion of the implications for practice, the volume effectively acquaints readers with the political, economic, and social dimensions of rights issues and the documents that guarantee them. New material covers international events, such as the United Nation's Millennium Project and its effort to reduce the poverty and suffering of billions worldwide. The volume now features an emphasis on cultural rights and a probing lesson in cultural relativism. It turns a critical eye toward the failure in the U.S. to address social welfare issues and to rectify policies that favor one group over another.

Elisabeth Reichert is a professor at the Southern Illinois University of Carbondale School of Social Work and author of Challenges in Human Rights: A Social Work Perspective and Understanding Human Rights: An Exercise Book.