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Dissertation Project
Naming, Shaming, and Feeling: The Emotional Dynamics of International Human Rights Shaming and Bystander Reactions
Abstract: International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) frequently employ “naming and shaming” strategies to expose human rights violations and pressure perpetrators into compliance with international norms. However, the mechanisms through which such efforts are effective is understudied. In doing so, this dissertation looks at the influence of bystander citizens and addresses the question: When and how does naming and shaming influence bystander citizen responses to human rights violations abroad? I argue that emotional responses—particularly anger, fear, and empathy—shape individuals’ willingness to support advocacy efforts aimed at mitigating further violations. I propose an original framework identifying three factors that affect emotional arousal: the identity of the shamer, identity of the victim’s identity, and the source through which they learn about the shaming. Focusing on women’s rights and physical integrity violations, my research design combines interviews with INGO campaign managers, survey experiments in the United States and India, with lab experiments utilizing psychophysiological measures to analyze emotional arousal amongst bystander citizens. This project thus deepens our understanding of the psychological mechanisms behind bystander responses to improve the effectiveness of naming and shaming efforts and contributes to scholarship on human rights, public opinion, and the micro-foundations of IR.
Methodology: Interviews, Survey Experiments, Psycho-physiological Lab Experiments
Naming, Shaming, and Feeling: The Emotional Dynamics of International Human Rights Shaming and Bystander Reactions
Abstract: International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) frequently employ “naming and shaming” strategies to expose human rights violations and pressure perpetrators into compliance with international norms. However, the mechanisms through which such efforts are effective is understudied. In doing so, this dissertation looks at the influence of bystander citizens and addresses the question: When and how does naming and shaming influence bystander citizen responses to human rights violations abroad? I argue that emotional responses—particularly anger, fear, and empathy—shape individuals’ willingness to support advocacy efforts aimed at mitigating further violations. I propose an original framework identifying three factors that affect emotional arousal: the identity of the shamer, identity of the victim’s identity, and the source through which they learn about the shaming. Focusing on women’s rights and physical integrity violations, my research design combines interviews with INGO campaign managers, survey experiments in the United States and India, with lab experiments utilizing psychophysiological measures to analyze emotional arousal amongst bystander citizens. This project thus deepens our understanding of the psychological mechanisms behind bystander responses to improve the effectiveness of naming and shaming efforts and contributes to scholarship on human rights, public opinion, and the micro-foundations of IR.
Methodology: Interviews, Survey Experiments, Psycho-physiological Lab Experiments
Research papers under review
1) Social Capital, Platform Power, and the Private Authority of Big Tech Firms: Theorizing The Micro-Foundations of Platform Power Among Social Networking Sites
Abstract
In the era of digital globalization, Big Tech firms have emerged as pivotal non-state actors in International Relations (IR). A growing body of research theorizes the political influence of these firms through the concept of platform power, which emphasizes the unique combination of economic scale and intimate relationships with their users. Despite the analytical power of the concept, past work on the platform power of Big Tech firms obscures important differences among these firms. To improve our understanding of the foundations of Big Tech’s platform power, I focus specifically on Social Networking Sites (SNSs). SNSs are platforms that provide web-based services to enable individuals to create profiles, connect with others, and share information, opinions, and media. I argue that the micro-foundation of SNSs’ platform power is their exceptional capacity to foster social capital accumulation among their users. In turn, this cultivates loyal consumer bases and ultimately enables SNSs to wield significant private authority in global politics. I demonstrate the implications of this argument for how SNSs gain, maintain, and potentially lose private authority. This conceptual framework enhances our comprehension of Big Tech’s authority and helps further investigation into the normative implications, identity dynamics, and security concerns within this evolving landscape
Revise & Resubmit at International Studies Quarterly
2) Seeing is Believing: How Video of Police Action Affects Criminal Justice Beliefs
With Bryce J Dietrich, and Paul Testa
Abstract
Previous scholars have consistently shown that the news media both shapes and distorts how
citizens view issues of crime and justice in the United States. Media coverage in the U.S. is at
best loosely related to local crime conditions (Graber, 1980; Lowry, Nio and Leitner, 2003) and
often reinforces stereotypes of black criminality (Gilliam and Iyengar, 2000; Gilliam et al., 1996).
Yet the growing availability of video footage of citizens interactions with the police, recorded by
both individuals and police departments, may fundamentally change this process. By providing
a more direct account of what happened, it is possible such footage leads citizens to rely less on
their preconceived notions of race and crime and more on the specific facts of situation. In this
study, we explore the consequences of viewing citizen-police interactions on the interpretation
of those encounters and attitudes about crime, justice, and politics more generally. First, we
explore the extent to which evaluations of the same unedited police body-worn camera footage of
traffic stop that resulted in a citizen’s complaint can be influenced by changing the justification
for the release of that footage. By manipulating the title of the video, participants are informed
that the released footage either confirmed or refuted a charge of officer misconduct. Responses
in these conditions are compared to those in control condition in which no justification for the
release of the footage is given. Second, we explore the effects of such footage when mediated
through the frames of local news. Again, we compare participants’ evaluations of the interaction
when it is framed as either confirming or refuting the charge of officer misconduct to a neutral
presentation of the information. We find that interpretations of this footage depend both on how
it is framed and the format in which it is presented, as well as the prior beliefs and experiences
of the viewer.
3) What’s in a Name? Implications of Overusing ‘Sub-Saharan Africa
With Sky Kunkel
Abstract
Do names matter? In this paper, we demonstrate that there are two distinct but interlinked reasons to question the use of the phrase “sub-Saharan Africa.” First, we provide historic evidence on the origin of the phrase, highlighting its inception in Western conceptions of race used to separate “Arab” and “Black” Africa. Next, we show that the terminology is often used beyond its intended scope, as researchers make broad generalizations not supported by theory. We support our argument by qualitatively coding articles in top political science journals, showing that a large portion of research using the phrase does not have as substantial generalizability as far as is otherwise assumed. We finish our paper with a discussion of how the discipline can move forward, utilizing self-critical thinking without naming and shaming.
