Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook428 pages6 hours
The Seductions of Quantification: Measuring Human Rights, Gender Violence, and Sex Trafficking
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
We live in a world where seemingly everything can be measured. We rely on indicators to translate social phenomena into simple, quantified terms, which in turn can be used to guide individuals, organizations, and governments in establishing policy. Yet counting things requires finding a way to make them comparable. And in the process of translating the confusion of social life into neat categories, we inevitably strip it of context and meaning—and risk hiding or distorting as much as we reveal.
With The Seductions of Quantification, leading legal anthropologist Sally Engle Merry investigates the techniques by which information is gathered and analyzed in the production of global indicators on human rights, gender violence, and sex trafficking. Although such numbers convey an aura of objective truth and scientific validity, Merry argues persuasively that measurement systems constitute a form of power by incorporating theories about social change in their design but rarely explicitly acknowledging them. For instance, the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, which ranks countries in terms of their compliance with antitrafficking activities, assumes that prosecuting traffickers as criminals is an effective corrective strategy—overlooking cultures where women and children are frequently sold by their own families. As Merry shows, indicators are indeed seductive in their promise of providing concrete knowledge about how the world works, but they are implemented most successfully when paired with context-rich qualitative accounts grounded in local knowledge.
With The Seductions of Quantification, leading legal anthropologist Sally Engle Merry investigates the techniques by which information is gathered and analyzed in the production of global indicators on human rights, gender violence, and sex trafficking. Although such numbers convey an aura of objective truth and scientific validity, Merry argues persuasively that measurement systems constitute a form of power by incorporating theories about social change in their design but rarely explicitly acknowledging them. For instance, the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, which ranks countries in terms of their compliance with antitrafficking activities, assumes that prosecuting traffickers as criminals is an effective corrective strategy—overlooking cultures where women and children are frequently sold by their own families. As Merry shows, indicators are indeed seductive in their promise of providing concrete knowledge about how the world works, but they are implemented most successfully when paired with context-rich qualitative accounts grounded in local knowledge.
Unavailable
Read more from Sally Engle Merry
The Seductions of Quantification: Measuring Human Rights, Gender Violence, and Sex Trafficking Human Rights and Gender Violence: Translating International Law into Local Justice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Colonizing Hawai'i: The Cultural Power of Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anthropology and Law: A Critical Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Seductions of Quantification
Related ebooks
Making Human Rights a Reality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Sense of Justice: Legal Knowledge and Lived Experience in Latin America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEveryday Law on the Street: City Governance in an Age of Diversity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After the Gig: How the Sharing Economy Got Hijacked and How to Win It Back Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Envy in Politics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Future of Change: How Technology Shapes Social Revolutions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Authority Trap: Strategic Choices of International NGOs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLaw and Society Today Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDoing Bad by Doing Good: Why Humanitarian Action Fails Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Teacher Unions and Social Justice: Organizing for the Schools and Communities Our Students Deserve Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDelete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creating Political Presence: The New Politics of Democratic Representation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEconomic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence, and the Poverty of Nations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everything Must Change!: The World after Covid-19 Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Border Within: The Economics of Immigration in an Age of Fear Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMoral Capitalism: Why Fairness Won't Make Us Poor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMoral Markets: The Critical Role of Values in the Economy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Of Privacy and Power: The Transatlantic Struggle over Freedom and Security Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Direct Democracy: Collective Power, the Swarm, and the Literatures of the Americas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why the Haves Come Out Ahead: The Classic Essay and New Observations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Legacy of Pluralism: The Continental Jurisprudence of Santi Romano, Carl Schmitt, and Costantino Mortati Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrivacy Rights: Moral and Legal Foundations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Punitive Imagination: Law, Justice, and Responsibility Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJust Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everyday Ethics and Social Change: The Education of Desire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPoverty Traps Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Critical theory and human rights: From compassion to coercion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeople Before Profit: The New Globalization in an Age of Terror, Big Money, and Economic Crisis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Law For You
Dictionary of Legal Terms: Definitions and Explanations for Non-Lawyers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text with Exercises Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Criminal Law Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLaw For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Contracts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegal Words You Should Know: Over 1,000 Essential Terms to Understand Contracts, Wills, and the Legal System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Win In Court Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Know Your Rights: A Survival Guide for Non-Lawyers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pro Se Litigant's Civil Litigation Handbook: How to Represent Yourself in a Civil Lawsuit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Guide To Being A Paralegal: Winning Secrets to a Successful Career! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The ZERO Percent: Secrets of the United States, the Power of Trust, Nationality, Banking and ZERO TAXES! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Paralegal's Handbook: A Complete Reference for All Your Daily Tasks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/58 Living Trust Forms: Legal Self-Help Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Think Like a Lawyer--and Why: A Common-Sense Guide to Everyday Dilemmas Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Executor's Guide, The: Settling a Loved One's Estate or Trust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEstate & Trust Administration For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Common Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Business Law Basics: A Legal Handbook for Online Entrepreneurs and Startup Businesses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Executor and Trustee Book: A Step-by-Step Guide to Estate and Trust Administration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wills and Trusts Kit For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail--Every Place, Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The LLC and Corporation Start-Up Guide: Your Complete Guide to Launching the Right Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Verbal Judo, Second Edition: The Gentle Art of Persuasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5No Stone Unturned: The True Story of the World's Premier Forensic Investigators Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related podcast episodes
John Gastil and Katherine Knobloch on Citizen Initiative Review 0% found this document useful338: Ruth King on Healing Racism (Re-release) 0% found this document usefulThe Civic Bargain: A Conversation with Josiah Ober on Ancients and Moderns 0% found this document usefulThe Civic Bargain: A Conversation with Josiah Ober on Ancients and Moderns 0% found this document usefulThe Civic Bargain: A Conversation with Josiah Ober on Ancients and Moderns 0% found this document useful
Related articles
There Is Too Much Stuff The AtlanticArticle
There Is Too Much Stuff
May 24, 2019
5 min readExperts: Anti-Asian Racism Is Snarled Up With Misogyny FuturityArticle
Experts: Anti-Asian Racism Is Snarled Up With Misogyny
Mar 26, 2021
3 min readThe (Re-)Invention of the Soul Mate The AtlanticArticle
The (Re-)Invention of the Soul Mate
Jun 18, 2015
6 min readWhat Populists Do to Democracies The AtlanticArticle
What Populists Do to Democracies
Dec 26, 2018
7 min readReasons To Be Cheerful New InternationalistArticle
Reasons To Be Cheerful
Aug 10, 2021
The leftwing leadership of the city of Marseilles has bought up a branch of McDonald’s and given it a longer-term future as a community resource. In December 2019, the franchise owners announced that the restaurant would be sold. Workers suspected th
1 min readThe New Recruits TIMEArticle
The New Recruits
Apr 16, 2021
10 min readLearning Links Beijing ReviewArticle
Learning Links
Mar 21, 2024
What do Chinese and American scholars agree and disagree on when it comes to human rights research? In search of answers, Professor Zhang Yonghe from the Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing Municipality led a delegation of
5 min read'Genius Grant' Winner Used A Soap Opera To Prove A Point About Prejudice NPRArticle
'Genius Grant' Winner Used A Soap Opera To Prove A Point About Prejudice
Oct 11, 2017
4 min readOn Safari in Trump's America The AtlanticArticle
On Safari in Trump's America
Oct 23, 2017
16 min readThe Atlantic Daily: Late Vote, Early Warning The AtlanticArticle
The Atlantic Daily: Late Vote, Early Warning
Jun 27, 2017
3 min readWhat Exactly Are People Marching for When They March for Science? The AtlanticArticle
What Exactly Are People Marching for When They March for Science?
Mar 7, 2017
6 min readPublic Discussion of Science Policy Surges Nationwide as Thousands Engage in Science Rising Union of Concerned ScientistsArticle
Public Discussion of Science Policy Surges Nationwide as Thousands Engage in Science Rising
Aug 22, 2018
2 min readThe Kindredness Of Kindness The Christian Science MonitorArticle
The Kindredness Of Kindness
May 18, 2023
Since the social justice protests that fanned around the world three years ago, businesses, institutions, and public services have made strides to become more inclusive. More than a hundred colleges in the United States, for example, now offer progra
2 min readIs It Worse to Ban a Book, or Never Publish It? The AtlanticArticle
Is It Worse to Ban a Book, or Never Publish It?
Jul 27, 2022
9 min readMiscellaneous Files From Racial Justice Activists in the US Guernica MagazineArticle
Miscellaneous Files From Racial Justice Activists in the US
Jun 19, 2020
11 min readThe False Promise of Anti-racism Books The AtlanticArticle
The False Promise of Anti-racism Books
Jul 21, 2020
3 min readAre Public Schools Foundational To Democracy? The Christian Science MonitorArticle
Are Public Schools Foundational To Democracy?
Aug 29, 2022
2 min readWorks In Progress The American ScholarArticle
Works In Progress
Sep 1, 2021
3 min readWhen Civility Is Used As A Cudgel Against People Of Color NPRArticle
When Civility Is Used As A Cudgel Against People Of Color
Mar 14, 2019
4 min readWhy The Intellectual Dark Web Has Failed The Critic MagazineArticle
Why The Intellectual Dark Web Has Failed
Jan 25, 2024
5 min readThe Conversation The AtlanticArticle
The Conversation
Dec 12, 2017
6 min readHow the Gender Debate Veered Offtrack The AtlanticArticle
How the Gender Debate Veered Offtrack
Apr 21, 2023
10 min readThe Atlantic Daily: A Moral Failing, a Choice The AtlanticArticle
The Atlantic Daily: A Moral Failing, a Choice
Nov 13, 2017
4 min readCan Civics Save America? The AtlanticArticle
Can Civics Save America?
May 15, 2021
9 min readBook Bans And The Threat Of Censorship Rev Up Political Activism In The Suburbs NPRArticle
Book Bans And The Threat Of Censorship Rev Up Political Activism In The Suburbs
Mar 21, 2022
A conservative campaign to ban certain books from schools is prompting other parents to push back. The issue is often framed as the latest "culture war" battle, but some see democracy itself at stake.
6 min readA Key To Ending The Culture Wars: Respect. The Christian Science MonitorArticle
A Key To Ending The Culture Wars: Respect.
Jun 14, 2021
The difference between respecting others and enabling one’s adversaries seems a thin line. But respect is an essential agent of progress and healing.
2 min readThe Uniters Time Magazine International EditionArticle
The Uniters
Mar 27, 2020
14 min read'I'm Willing To Fight For America': 5 Student Activists On Protesting For Change NPRArticle
'I'm Willing To Fight For America': 5 Student Activists On Protesting For Change
Jun 19, 2020
8 min readUniversities Try to Force a Consensus About Kyle Rittenhouse The AtlanticArticle
Universities Try to Force a Consensus About Kyle Rittenhouse
Nov 26, 2021
6 min readLetters: ‘The Term Political Correctness Primes People to Respond Negatively’ The AtlanticArticle
Letters: ‘The Term Political Correctness Primes People to Respond Negatively’
Oct 22, 2018
4 min read
Reviews for The Seductions of Quantification
Rating: 4.333333333333333 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
3 ratings0 reviews