In an age when almost anything can be somehow quantified and then measured, Sally Engle Merry s latest book shows how quantification can hide or even distort as much as it reveals. She is particularly interested in the rise of quantitative indicators as a means of global governance. This is the realm of soft law, where compliance depends on monitoring behavior against a set of standards. Merry focuses on three global indicators: human rights indicators used by the organizations monitoring treaties, surveys measuring ...
Read More
In an age when almost anything can be somehow quantified and then measured, Sally Engle Merry s latest book shows how quantification can hide or even distort as much as it reveals. She is particularly interested in the rise of quantitative indicators as a means of global governance. This is the realm of soft law, where compliance depends on monitoring behavior against a set of standards. Merry focuses on three global indicators: human rights indicators used by the organizations monitoring treaties, surveys measuring violence against women, and the US State Department Trafficking in Persons report that ranks countries in terms of their compliance with anti-trafficking activities. Merry sees these and other indicators as a form of knowledge that places power in the hands of the technical experts and organizations who construct them. She investigates the techniques by which information is gathered and analyzed as well as who determines relevant categories, who collects the data, and who disseminates it. Because measurement and ranking systems typically incorporate theories about social change that are embedded in their design but are rarely explicitly acknowledged, they are a form of knowledge--and hence of power--that typically fly under the radar. The US State Department indicators, for example, assume that prosecuting traffickers as if they were a form of organized crime is the key strategy for eliminating the practice, even though it is only one of several standards and does not address cultures where women and children are often sold by their own families. As Merry persuasively shows, quantified indicators are indeed seductive in their seeming promise of providing clear and objective knowledge about how the world works. In actuality, though, such indicators reflect the values, biases, and political worldviews of those who construct and use them."
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. Chicago Law and Society. May show signs of wear, highlighting, writing, and previous use. This item may be a former library book with typical markings. No guarantee on products that contain supplements Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Twenty-five year bookseller with shipments to over fifty million happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. Chicago Law and Society. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. Chicago Law and Society. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Series: Chicago Series in Law and Society. Num Pages: 272 pages. BIC Classification: JFFE; JFSJ1. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly. Dimension: 231 x 153 x 18. Weight in Grams: 372. 2016. 1st Edition. Paperback.....We ship daily from our Bookshop.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. Chicago Law and Society. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
