The University of Chicago | Why Shaming Other Countries Often Backfires, with Rochelle Terman @UChicago | Uploaded February 2024 | Updated October 2024, 18 hours ago.
How do you stop a government from continuing to commit human rights abuses? You could take them to an international court of justice, or file a complaint at the UN. But none of those bodies have any enforcement power. Short of going to war, the only option on the table in most international situations is to name and shame. But is that strategy effective?
In her new book, “The Geopolitics of Shaming: When Human Rights Pressure Works and When It Backfires (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691250472/the-geopolitics-of-shaming) ,” University of Chicago political scientist Rochelle Terman argues that there is a real dilemma to international human rights pressure: Shaming is most common in situations where it is least likely to be effective; and, most troublingly, it can often make human rights abuses worse.
Link to the advertised Chicago Booth Review Podcast: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/podcast?source=cbr-sn-bbr-camp:podcast24-20240222
0:00 - Introduction to the Big Brains podcast
1:20 - Overview of the global human rights crisis
2:30 - Introduction of Rochelle Terman and her book "The Geopolitics of Shaming"
4:10 - The success and paradox of the modern human rights regime
5:30 - Limitations of international human rights enforcement
6:45 - Shaming as a tool in international relations
8:00 - Arguments against the effectiveness of shaming
10:00 - Reasons why countries continue to use shaming
12:00 - Introduction to the Big Brains podcast and episode topic
13:10 - Definition and examples of international shaming
15:30 - Strategic relationships and the credibility of shaming
18:00 - Case study: Saudi Arabia and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi
20:30 - Case study: Iran and the stoning sentence of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
24:00 - Discussion on why shaming friends versus adversaries differs
27:00 - Examples of defensive reactions to shaming
28:30 - Case study: Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill and backlash
31:00 - Impact on local advocacy groups
32:30 - Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and findings
35:00 - US-specific dynamics in response to shaming
38:00 - Political polarization and domestic implications of shaming
41:00 - Lessons for effective norm enforcement
43:00 - Conclusion and implications for personal relationships and political polarization
45:30 - Closing remarks and credits
How do you stop a government from continuing to commit human rights abuses? You could take them to an international court of justice, or file a complaint at the UN. But none of those bodies have any enforcement power. Short of going to war, the only option on the table in most international situations is to name and shame. But is that strategy effective?
In her new book, “The Geopolitics of Shaming: When Human Rights Pressure Works and When It Backfires (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691250472/the-geopolitics-of-shaming) ,” University of Chicago political scientist Rochelle Terman argues that there is a real dilemma to international human rights pressure: Shaming is most common in situations where it is least likely to be effective; and, most troublingly, it can often make human rights abuses worse.
Link to the advertised Chicago Booth Review Podcast: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/podcast?source=cbr-sn-bbr-camp:podcast24-20240222
0:00 - Introduction to the Big Brains podcast
1:20 - Overview of the global human rights crisis
2:30 - Introduction of Rochelle Terman and her book "The Geopolitics of Shaming"
4:10 - The success and paradox of the modern human rights regime
5:30 - Limitations of international human rights enforcement
6:45 - Shaming as a tool in international relations
8:00 - Arguments against the effectiveness of shaming
10:00 - Reasons why countries continue to use shaming
12:00 - Introduction to the Big Brains podcast and episode topic
13:10 - Definition and examples of international shaming
15:30 - Strategic relationships and the credibility of shaming
18:00 - Case study: Saudi Arabia and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi
20:30 - Case study: Iran and the stoning sentence of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
24:00 - Discussion on why shaming friends versus adversaries differs
27:00 - Examples of defensive reactions to shaming
28:30 - Case study: Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill and backlash
31:00 - Impact on local advocacy groups
32:30 - Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process and findings
35:00 - US-specific dynamics in response to shaming
38:00 - Political polarization and domestic implications of shaming
41:00 - Lessons for effective norm enforcement
43:00 - Conclusion and implications for personal relationships and political polarization
45:30 - Closing remarks and credits
