Sally Engle Merry
3 books
About the Author
Sally Engle Merry is a distinguished anthropologist and legal scholar whose work bridges the intersections of law, human rights, and global governance. A professor emerita at New York University, she has dedicated her career to examining how quantitative measures shape social justice initiatives, particularly in the realms of gender violence and sex trafficking. Drawing from extensive fieldwork in urban courts and international arenas, Merry critiques the power dynamics embedded in data-driven policies, advocating for more nuanced approaches to equity and accountability. Her influential scholarship has reshaped understandings of vernacularization—the adaptation of global norms to local contexts—and continues to inspire interdisciplinary dialogue on the human costs of measurement. With a focus on ethnography and critical theory, she illuminates the seductions and limitations of numbers in pursuing justice.
Common genres
Writing style
scholarly
analytical
ethnographic
