Nine essays explore the question of universalism and cultural relativism of rights, refuse to adopt either stance absolutely, and advocate less extreme positions. They also consider how rights are claimed and contested, vindicated and politicized, and how they transform social practice in different ways. The case studies, most from Africa, focus on the legal dimensions and how people in concrete circumstances engage in political struggles that are framed partly in terms of rights. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.