An exploration of how human rights-centered activism can challenge neoliberal hegemony. 

This book investigates the complex relationship between human rights and neoliberalism, challenging the common belief that human rights are either part of neoliberal hegemony or are ineffective in challenging it. Drawing on empirical data that presents the experiences of radical social movement activists in the UK and beyond, John Duncan presents a new, alternative perspective on how human rights can disrupt the central features of neoliberalism. Exploring three key themes of activist use of human rights—rejection of hegemonic legal and NGO structures, use of human rights as a tool for movement-building, and contesting the commodification of areas of social reproduction such as education, housing, and welfare—the book offers an original understanding of the nature of neoliberalism and its reliance on such commodification. Duncan builds on the work of social reproduction theory to examine how this commodification is understood as a means of reproducing the conditions upon which capitalism functions and reinforces gendered, racial, and disability hierarchies. By highlighting how activists engage with human rights in ways that directly challenge the neoliberal hegemony, this book reveals how human rights can be a potent tool for social transformation when used outside mainstream frameworks.