Human rights in the United States : beyond exceptionalism
Foreword: are Americans human? Reflections on the future of progressive politics in the United States Dorothy Q. Thomas 1. Paradoxes and possibilities: domestic human rights policy in context Kathryn Libal and Shareen Hertel Part I. Structuring Debates, Institutionalizing Rights: 2. The yellow sweatshirt: human dignity and economic human rights in advanced industrialized democracies Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann 3. The welfare state: a battleground for human rights Mimi Abramovitz 4. Drawing lines in the sand: building economic and social rights in the United States Cathy Albisa 5. State and local commissions as sites for domestic human rights implementation Risa Kaufman Part II. Challenging Public/Private Divides: 6. The curious resistance to seeing domestic violence as a human rights violation in the United States Sally Engle Merry and Jessica Shimmin 7. At the crossroads: children's rights and the US government Jonathan Todres 8. Entrenched inequity: healthcare in the United States Jean Connolly Carmalt, Sarah Zaidi and Alicia Ely Yamin 9. Business and human rights: a new approach to advancing environmental justice in the United States Joanne Bauer Part III. From the Margins to the Center: Making Harms Visible through Human Rights Framing: 10. The law and politics of US participation in the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities Michael Ashley Stein and Janet E. Lord 11. The anomaly of citizenship for indigenous rights Bethany R. Berger 12. Human rights violations as obstacles to escaping poverty: the case of lone mother-headed families Ken Neubeck 13. The human rights of children in conflict with the law: lessons for the US human rights movement Mie Lewis 14. LGBT rights as human rights in the United States: opportunities lost Julie Mertus 15. No shelter: disaster politics in Louisiana and the struggle for human rights Davida Finger and Rachel E. Luft.
Introduction: Rights-Based versus Conventional Needs-Based Approaches to Clinical Practice
This chapter defines torture and identifies some of the recent definitional controversies and key contextual factors. The prime targets of torture, prevalence estimates, and common sequelae are discussed and the problem of US exceptionalism is explored. Torture is framed as a human rights violation and relevant international human rights mechanisms and tools are identified. Core principles of a rights-based approach (RBA) to clinical and forensic social work practice with survivors of state-sponsored torture within a US context are described and promoted in this chapter. Discussion of the US’ use of torture is included, while drawing predominantly on cases of asylum seeking survivors in the USA who were tortured prior coming to the USA. Key roles for clinical social workers related to the implementation of the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) are explored. The chapter concludes with discussion of the importance of combating impunity and suggested class activities and resources.
Can family language policy predict linguistic, socio-emotional and cognitive child and family outcomes? A systematic review
Multilingual families face decisions about the linguistic upbringing of their children. These decisions shape their family language policy (FLP) which potentially impacts the children and their fam...