Book Review: The Seductions of Quantification, Measuring Human Rights Gender Violence and Sex Trafficking
Author | Sharifah Sekalala |
Published date | 01 February 2019 |
DOI | 10.1177/0964663918809282 |
Date | 01 February 2019 |
Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Social & Legal Studies 28(1)
SALLY ENGLE MERRY, The Seductions of Quantification: Measuring Human Rights, Gender Violence,
and Sex Trafficking. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2016, pp. 272,
ISBN 9780226261287, $25.00 (pbk).
Sally Engle Merry’s book is a fascinating continuation of a large body of work on
indicators in global governance (see Davis et al., 2012; Merry et al., 2015; Rottenburg
et al., 2015). Merry notes that indicators are becoming more important in a more infor-
mal system of global governance in which soft law measures are increasingly used in
order to coerce states into compliance. This informal system has become much more
important than international law in ensuring effective global governance.
Merry starts by noting that global measurement through the use of evidence-based
governance is increasing (Chapters 1 and 2). These first two chapters cover themes that
have been covered in some of the earlier volumes noted above. For instance, the first
chapter deals with the functions and limitations of global indicator projects, where Merry
acknowledges that they embody the aspirations and motivations of those entities that
establish them. In Chapter 2, Merry grapples with the philosophical discussion on the
power behind these systems. Using Michael Foucault’s conception of power, she shows
that those who can measure things effectively can set the agenda through deciding what
issues are important enough to be measured and what issues are ignored.
Having read the previous books on earlier projects on quantification, I was a bit wary that
the book would be a reiteration of concepts already covered. However, this was soon dis-
pelled when I read the case studies, which were deeply insightful, readable and contained a
wealth of original research. The case studies are covered in Chapters 3 to 7. In these chapters,
Merry introduces three areas which were traditionally underdeveloped in global governance.
The first is the United Nations Statistical...
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