Patricia Hynes

Sociology and human rights: confrontations, evasions and new engagements

Sociologists have struggled to negotiate their relationship to human rights, yet human rights are now increasingly the focus of innovative sociological analysis. This opening contribution to ‘Sociology and Human Rights: New Engagements’ analyses how the relationship between sociology and human rights could be better conceptualised and taken forward in the future. The historical development of the sociology of human rights is first examined, with emphasis on the uneasy distancing of sociology from universal rights claims from its inception, and on radical repudiations influenced by Marx. We discuss how in the post-war period T.H. Marshalls work generated analysis of citizenship rights, but only in the past two decades has the sociology of human rights been developed by figures such as Bryan Turner, Lydia Morris and Anthony Woodiwiss. We then introduce the individual contributions to the volume, and explain how they are grouped. We suggest the need to deepen existing analyses of what sociology can offer to the broad field of human rights scholarship, but also, more unusually, that sociologists need to focus more on what human rights related research can bring to sociology, to renew it as a discipline. Subsequent sections take this forward by examining a series of themes including: the relationship between the individual and the social; the need to address inequality; the challenge of social engagement and activism; and the development of interdisciplinarity. We note how authors in the volume contribute to each of these. Finally we conclude by summarising our proposals for future directions in research.

The dispersal and social exclusion of asylum seekers : between liminality and belonging

Social exclusion and refugees Key terms and concepts Dispersal The evolution and geography of dispersal The process and experience of dispersal Access to services Social networks and belonging Conclusions.

Global points of ‘vulnerability’: understanding processes of the trafficking of children and young people into, within and out of the UK

Within the UK, trafficking of children and young people into, within and out of the country has become an increasingly important and debated issue over the past decade. Although not a new phenomenon, human trafficking has risen up the policy agendas of many countries since the end of the Cold War. This type of forced migration is inextricably linked to the promotion and protection of human rights – be they civil, political, social, economic or cultural rights – and as such it is important that the broader social processes involved are understood and researched by sociologists. This contribution draws upon qualitative research into practitioner responses to trafficking of children conducted by the University of Bedfordshire and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in the UK. A key finding of this study was that trafficking of children is often viewed as a one-off ‘event’ by those who have a duty to care for children and young people. It is argued that viewing trafficking as a broader sociological process rather than an event enables a greater understanding of the environmental backgrounds of individual children and the human rights contexts within countries of origin as well as subsequent migration trajectories. It is suggested that this may lead to an enhanced ability to identify children as having been trafficked by those with a duty to care for children. The literature from the multidisciplinary fields of refugee studies and forced migration is drawn upon where applicable.

Self reported experiences of therapy following child sexual abuse: Messages from a retrospective survey of adult survivors:

• Summary: This article explores retrospective accounts of childhood sexual abuse survivors’ experiences of therapeutic support received before the age of 18 in the United Kingdom. The survey formed part of a broad programme of research on therapeutic interventions for children affected by sexual abuse, by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) under the Rebuilding Childhoods programme. The primary aim of the survey was to explore what was helpful in young survivors’ experiences (n= 299) of therapy to inform the development of a new NSPCC service. Of these 299 respondents (aged 18–35), only 52 reported receiving formal therapeutic provision following the abuse and this article relates to this smaller subset. • Findings: Respondents revealed that therapeutic factors such as therapist characteristics and interpersonal communication were crucial in informing their perceptions of therapy received. However, pre-therapy factors such as high level of need and unstable personal circumstances at the time of accessing support also influenced respondent ability to engage in the therapeutic process. Although the types of therapy accessed differed for respondents, there were common elements reported relating to therapist characteristics and skills which were important in determining respondent views. • Applications: The findings suggest that while there is no one-size-fits all approach, there are key characteristics of the relationship between child and therapist that must be considered and that assessment and on-going professional judgement is key to engaging children and maximising their therapeutic experiences. The findings also suggest the importance of listening to children’s preferences and keeping children informed.

Research ethics in practice: Lessons from studies exploring interpersonal violence in different contexts

Studies researching interpersonal violence (IPV) are associated with a range of ethical challenges. In this article, lessons are drawn from three case studies exploring the experiences of different groups of survivors and perpetrators of IPV in diverse contexts: refugees in the Thailand-Burma border area; partner-violent adult men and female survivors in Ireland; and school children in five European countries. The ethical - and associated methodological - challenges faced, and the ways in which they were overcome, are presented. Drawing on the case studies presented, the article concludes that three key areas require special attention when conducting research in this field: accessing and recruiting participants, researcher skills and experience, and appropriate use of data. Language: en

New Directions in the Sociology of Human Rights

New Directions in the Sociology of Human Rights is a contribution to both sociology and to human rights research, particularly where these are directed towards challenging power relations and inequalities in contemporary societies. It expands and develops the sociology of human rights as a sub-field of sociology and interdisciplinary human rights scholarship. The volume suggests new directions for the use of social and sociological theories in the analysis of issues such as torture and genocide and addresses a number of themes which have not previously been a sustained focus in the sociology of human rights literature. These range from climate change and the human rights of soldiers, to corporate social responsibility and children’s rights in relation to residential care. The collection is thus multi-dimensional, examining a range of specific empirical contexts, and also considering relationships between sociological analysis and human rights scholarship and activism. Hence in a variety of ways it points the way for future analyses, and also for human rights activism and practices. It is intended to widen our field of vision in the sociology of human rights, and to spark both new ideas and new forms of political engagement. This book was published as a special issue of The International Journal of Human Rights.

Trafficking of Children and Young People: ‘Community’ Knowledge and Understandings

Trafficking of children and young people into, within, and out of the UK has, in the past decade, been increasingly acknowledged by Governments, statutory and non-statutory agencies. Little is known, however, about how non-statutory organisations working within minority ethnic populations understand this issue. This chapter seeks to address this gap, by exploring knowledge and understandings of trafficking of children and young people within migrant and refugee community organisations.