International socialization at the state and individual levels: mixed evidence from intellectual property

Abstract

This article synthesizes the results of two quantitative analyses, one at a macro and the second at a micro level, to shed light on the process of international socialization. The first analysis examines the seeming adoption of intellectual property norms at the state level while the second looks at the internalization of similar norms at the individual decision maker level. Both pay special attention to foreign education and capacity-building courses as carriers of US norms to developing countries. By triangulating the results of these analyses, we develop a more nuanced view of international socialization processes than analyses centred at only one level. We provide clear evidence that institutionalization of foreign norms often takes place prior to individual persuasion rather than as a result of it. We show that different socialization types (acculturation and persuasion) and the transmission of different idea types (causal and normative beliefs) may simultaneously operate in opposing directions. These conclusions reveal a bias in previous studies that focussed at only one level of analysis and support calls for greater eclecticism in the levels of analysis.

Notes

¹ To protect the anonymity of respondents, we did not ask in which specific country they were born and educated, but whether it was in a low-income, middle-income or high-income country.

² Respondents were neither asked to name the specific country of education nor the specific provider of training activities. This limitation was necessary to protect respondents’ anonymity. In several cases, having specific answers to a number of questions would make the identification of the respondent possible.

³ For the multi-categorical variables of area of expertise and professional sector, “patent” and “national government” were the values selected for the constant.

⁴ This is the logical inference that can be drawn from our findings. This conclusion could be further confirmed by conducting a survey of non-experts.