Human Rights and Social Justice

Offering a unique perspective that views human rights as the foundation of social justice, the third edition of Joseph Wronka's groundbreaking text (with instructor's manual) outlines human rights and social justice concerns as a powerful conceptual framework for policy and practice interventions, that are both proactive and reactive, for the helping and health professions. This highly accessible, interdisciplinary (if not phenomenological) text urges the creation of a human rights culture described as a "lived awareness" of human rights principles, including human dignity; nondiscrimination; civil and political; economic, social, cultural, and solidarity rights.

This third edition has been updated robustly and covers some of the most pressing issues facing our world today, such as COVID-19, the growth of white supremacy in the U.S., extreme right populism, increasing mental illness and substance abuse, and destruction of natural habitats. The author has also incorporated more examples outside the U.S., reflecting the ever-increasing connectivity of our world.

This text is applicable for a variety of courses within the disciplines of social work, psychology, sociology, public health, law, medicine, philosophy, political science, as well as the "newer" disciplines like peace studies, diversity and inclusion, world citizenship, and sustainable development. Scholars, activists, and practitioners will find it a valuable reference for years to come.

Joseph Wronka (Ph.D., Brandeis University) is Professor in the School of Social Work and Behavioral Sciences, Springfield College, Massachusetts; Representative to the United Nations in New York for the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW); and on the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. A Fulbright Scholar, he has published widely in scholarly and popular fora, and presented his work in roughly eighteen countries. His website is www.humanrightsculture.org.