Citizens' Perceptions of Human Rights Practices: An Analysis of 55 Countries

Human rights abuses occur regularly around the world, affecting millions of citizens each year. Unfortunately, few studies have sought to examine the structure and role domestic perceptions play when such abuses transpire. The purpose of this article is to investigate the macro- and micro-level factors that shape the dynamics of human rights perceptions. The authors argue that perceptions are shaped not only by the human rights conditions within a country, but also by individual-level factors such as gender and political allegiance. Previous research on this topic has been limited to the analysis of a single survey question in fewer than 20 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The authors expand the analysis to cover 55 countries from most regions of the world and examine alternative survey questions pertaining to human rights issues. The authors include variables that measure perceptions of general human rights conditions, as well as specific rights such as freedom from torture. They find linkages between expert-based measures of human rights conditions and perceptions of the general human rights situation in the country as well as for the more extreme aspect of torture. This suggests that the concept of human rights may share similar meanings in the minds of citizens and experts for at least some aspects of human rights values.