The Structure and Evolution of the International Human Right Regime Network: A Cross-National and Longitudinal Study

• In Event: Rethinking Development Communciation

Abstract

The international human rights regime network is a form of international communication network with far-reaching social influence. This longitudinal study uses social network analysis program RSIENA to estimate the effects of a set of variables on the structure of the international human rights regime network. Data were collected from fifty countries over the period of 1994 to 2004. The study found that the international human rights regime network has a hierarchical structure. Further, this structural pattern is reinforced by endogenous network variables such as transitivity and nations’ indegree and outdegree centralities. At the same time, nations’ economic development, citizens’ access to mobile devices, and nations’ human rights performance-based reputation also affect the structural evolution of this network. Unique contributions of this study and its theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Authors

• Aimei Yang, University of Southern California

• Rong Wang, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication