Book contents
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Human Rights in History
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures, Maps, and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Overpopulation Discourse and the Post-1945 Order
- 3 Interventionist Population Policies of the 1950s
- 4 Breakthrough of a Human Rights Framework in the 1960s
- 5 Interpretive Struggles in the 1960s and 1970s
- 6 Crisis and Expansion of Human Rights in the 1970s
- 7 Domestic Interpretations of the Human Right to Family Planning
- 8 Conflicts over Reproductive Rights since the 1980s
- 9 Conclusion
- References
- Index
1 - Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 October 2025
Book contents
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Human Rights in History
- Population Control as a Human Right
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures, Maps, and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Overpopulation Discourse and the Post-1945 Order
- 3 Interventionist Population Policies of the 1950s
- 4 Breakthrough of a Human Rights Framework in the 1960s
- 5 Interpretive Struggles in the 1960s and 1970s
- 6 Crisis and Expansion of Human Rights in the 1970s
- 7 Domestic Interpretations of the Human Right to Family Planning
- 8 Conflicts over Reproductive Rights since the 1980s
- 9 Conclusion
- References
- Index
Summary
The chapter offers an introduction to the historical intertwinings of human rights and global population control efforts from the 1940s to the mid-1990s. It describes the aim of the book to investigate how human rights language was strategically employed to justify and implement large-scale family planning programs worldwide. The introduction highlights the complex interactions between individual and collective rights that will be explored throughout the book, including in case studies involving countries like India, Ireland, the United States, and Yugoslavia. The introduction also addresses contemporary challenges and debates surrounding population growth, environmental concerns, and reproductive rights. By analyzing the historical evolution of human rights discourse in the context of population control, the introduction describes the aim of the book as shedding light on the nuanced relationship between individual freedoms, societal well-being, and the ethical considerations inherent in global reproductive policies.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Population Control as a Human RightInternational Law and the Global Quest to Curb Overpopulation, pp. 1 - 16Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The PDF of this book
complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.