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Social Sciences
Special Issues
Human Rights and Social Protection of the Vulnerable
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Human Rights and Social Protection of the Vulnerable

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2018) | Viewed by 20159

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Ailsa M. Watkinson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina, 111–116 Research Drive, The Concourse, Innovation Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R3, Canada
Interests: human rights including women and children’s rights; fundamental freedoms; prisoner rights; anti oppressive praxis; globalization and policy analysis
Dr. Kara Fletcher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R3, Canada
Interests: community-based approach; social work; mental health; substance use issues; practice research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human rights are rights that all persons have by virtue of being human. Our understanding of human rights has evolved from the 1215 Magna Carter, which established the principle that everyone, regardless of their status (King, President), is subject to the rule of law. In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated human rights as including four freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. Today our understanding of human rights is often associated with international human rights documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and other conventions, covenants, treaties and charters that protect civil and political rights, economic and social rights, the promotion of substantive equality and non-discrimination.

How well are international, national and local human rights documents doing to protect the vulnerable in this age of massive migration, the apparent rise of the extreme right, racism, neo-liberalism, austerity, environmental upheaval and anti-intellectualism?

The evolution of rights has been described as a “living tree” that expands firmly into its foundation while expanding and growing upward. This Special Issue on human rights and the social protection of the vulnerable invites submissions from authors throughout all disciplines and locations. We welcome theoretical and conceptual submissions, empirical studies and position papers and offer the following points to stimulate ideas:

  • What is impeding the realization of human rights protection?
  • Who and what is left out of human rights discourse?
  • The place of and limits on cultural relativism in the expansion of human rights.
  • The role of sovereign nations in the affairs of other sovereign nations.
  • The impact of climate change on human rights.
  • What is working well in the promotion and expansion of rights and freedoms?
  • The enforcement of human rights in a globalized world: Is it possible, if so, by whom or what?
  • The impact of the current global political climate on human rights across borders.
Prof. Ailsa M. Watkinson
Prof. Kara Fletcher
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • inclusion
  • oppression
  • sovereign states
  • substantive rights
  • human rights
  • globalization

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 629 KiB  
Article
Translation and Linguistic Validation of a Swedish Study-Specific Questionnaire for Use among Norwegian Parents Who Lost a Child to Cancer
by Hilde-Kristin Vegsund, Toril Rannestad, Trude Reinfjell, Unni Karin Moksnes, Alexandra Eilegård Wallin and Mary-Elizabeth Bradley Eilertsen
Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(10), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7100187 - 3 Oct 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4109
Abstract
Background: Research is needed on how to help cancer-bereaved parents, as they are considered to be a vulnerable population and they are at risk of developing ill health following the loss of a child to cancer. The purpose of the present study was [...] Read more.
Background: Research is needed on how to help cancer-bereaved parents, as they are considered to be a vulnerable population and they are at risk of developing ill health following the loss of a child to cancer. The purpose of the present study was to translate and linguistically validate a Swedish study-specific questionnaire that was developed for Swedish cancer-bereaved parents. The translated questionnaire will be used in a nationwide study in Norway. Methods: Forward and backward translations of the Swedish study-specific questionnaire were conducted, followed by linguistic validation based on telephone interviews with six Norwegian cancer-bereaved parents. Result: It was found that several medical terms and conceptual issues were difficult for the Norwegian parents to understand. There were also four issues regarding the response alternatives. Conclusions: Although Sweden and Norway have quite similar cultures and languages, the results off this pilot study show that, to ensure the quality of a translated questionnaire, linguistic validation as well as translation is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Rights and Social Protection of the Vulnerable)
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14 pages, 248 KiB  
Article
Patterns, Costs, and Implications of Police Abuse to Citizens’ Rights in the Republic of Zimbabwe
by Ishmael Mugari and Emeka E. Obioha
Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(7), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7070116 - 16 Jul 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 10212
Abstract
The Police play a key role in maintaining law and order and safeguarding the security of the nation and its citizens. To enable them to discharge their constitutional mandate, they are entrusted with powers such as the power to arrest, detain, search, and [...] Read more.
The Police play a key role in maintaining law and order and safeguarding the security of the nation and its citizens. To enable them to discharge their constitutional mandate, they are entrusted with powers such as the power to arrest, detain, search, and to use force. However, police officers have often abused these powers with serious consequences on the image and operations of the organisation. The media is often inundated with news on unlawful arrests, arbitrary search and seizure, unlawful methods of investigations, and the excessive use of force. It is without a doubt that these incidences of abuse of powers and functions by the police come at a price. This study, a survey conducted with 91 respondents (83 members of public and 8 police officers) in 2 policing districts in Zimbabwe reveals wanton violation of human rights, police brutality, and the abuse of power which have resulted in both social and economic costs to the Police service and government of Zimbabwe through Civil suits against the police. Among other issues, training and decisiveness in dealing with the implicated police officers were viewed as the most effective ways for dealing with police abuse of power. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Rights and Social Protection of the Vulnerable)
16 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Vulnerable Rights: The Incomplete Realization of Disability Social Rights in France
by Anne Revillard
Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(6), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7060088 - 1 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5108
Abstract
While disabled people embody a classical figure of vulnerability, this paper shifts the focus of attention to the vulnerability of their social rights. I address this question normatively and empirically. From a normative point of view, a common framing of disability rights as [...] Read more.
While disabled people embody a classical figure of vulnerability, this paper shifts the focus of attention to the vulnerability of their social rights. I address this question normatively and empirically. From a normative point of view, a common framing of disability rights as civil rights, under the influence of the Americans with disabilities Act (ADA), has tended to impede the discussion on disability social rights. By re-asserting that social rights are fundamental human rights, the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) contributes to bringing them back to the forefront of disability research. However, the realization of disability social rights also needs to be empirically assessed. Based on theories of social rights as well as on Weberian sociology of law, I point to two major ideal-typical characteristics of social rights: they are expected to reduce uncertainty, especially regarding the evolution of one’s autonomy, and to foster a sense of citizenship. I then study the reception of two types of disability benefits in France, the Adult disability benefit (AAH) and the Disability compensation benefit (PCH), to assess to what extent these promises of social rights translate into the experiences of disabled citizens. My analysis is based on 30 biographical interviews with people with either visual or mobility impairments, conducted between 2014 and 2016. The results show the persistent vulnerability of disability social rights in France, pointing to the importance of the procedural dimension of rights realization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Rights and Social Protection of the Vulnerable)
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