{"product_id":"prisoners-of-freedom-9780520249240","title":"Prisoners of Freedom","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eIn this vivid ethnography, Harri Englund investigates how ideas of freedom impede struggles against poverty and injustice in emerging democracies. Reaching beyond a narrow focus on the national elite, \u003ci\u003ePrisoners of Freedom \u003c\/i\u003eshows how foreign aid and human rights activism hamper the pursuit of democratic citizenship in Africa. The book explores how activists’ aspirations of self-improvement, pursued under harsh economic conditions, find in the human rights discourse a new means to distinguish oneself from the poor masses. Among expatriates, the emphasis on abstract human rights avoids confrontations with the political and business elites. Drawing on long-term research among the Malawian poor, Englund brings to life the personal circumstances of Malawian human rights activists, their expatriate benefactors, and the urban and rural poor as he develops a fresh perspective on freedom—one that recognizes the significance of debt, obligation, and civil virtues.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Harri Englund","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48275094962427,"sku":"9780520249240","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/CoreSourceHub_937e7dcc-9d0f-49b6-a064-81234d097943.jpg?v=1771071387","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/prisoners-of-freedom-9780520249240","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}