Transnational Networks Amid Global Crisis and Change

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1323130 PI: Jackie Smith Co-PI: Melanie Hughes University of Pittsburgh In this proposal, investigators map populations of transnational organizations, including inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), and transnational social movement organizations (TSMOs) to document how changes in these populations impact state outcomes ranging from human rights practices to international trade and health policies. It is known that such wide-ranging impacts result from complex interactions among these diverse organizations, but existing research fails to account for network relations among different types of groups, for changes in the structure of inter-organizational relations over time, or for implications of such changes for models of world politics. This project uses network analysis to explore changes in network relations among IGOs, INGOs and TSMOs over the last thirty years. The investigators expect that recent financial crises and changes in the international political arena - such as the growth of China and other emerging economies, financial crises in the U.S. and Europe, and the global spread of popular protests - have altered the ways in which international nongovernmental and governmental organizations align with one another. A key contribution of this study will the production of new data, including: 1) an updated biennial dataset on the population of TSMOs (adding the years 2005-2013) and 2) a new Inter-Organizational Networks Database of INGO, TSMO, and IGO connections, constructed decennially from 1983 to 2013. A secondary goal of this study is to bridge data and research on INGOs and TSMOs, allowing world polity and social movement scholars to understand if, when, and how social-change orientations of organizations matter. Broader Impact The study advances understandings of global conflict and change, and therefore offers insights that can contribute to broader public and policy debates. The investigators will provide reports on the analyses that are accessible to general audiences in order to better inform public discourse about global conflicts and the various organizations and institutions addressing these matters. Specifically the research will speak to questions about how social movements relate to inter-governmental organizations, as both types of groups work to address conflict in areas of major global significance.