Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The scope of human rights --
2. The terrain of human rights --
3. Social theory and human rights --
4. Social science methods and human rights --
5. Measuring human rights --
6. Global comparative studies --
7. The social science of truth commissions --
8. Human rights impact assessment --
9. Theory and method in studying human rights.

Draws on key theories and methods from the social sciences to develop a framework for the systematic study of human rights problems. It argues that solid empirical analysis of human rights problems rests on examining the observable practices from state and non-state actors that constitute human rights violations to provide plausible explanations for their occurrence and provide a deeper understanding of their meaning.