The German sectors of secondary and higher education witnessed far-reaching changes in the last decade. Comprehensive reforms were introduced that essentially altered the educational structure as well as the procedures in policy making. These reforms were massively influenced by international initiatives namely the OECD's PISA study and the Bologna Process accompanied by the EU Commission. Both "IOs" succeeded in impacting German education reforms by applying various governance instruments that can be described as soft governance. Albeit multiple veto points were present in Germany and traditional German principles of education were contrary to the promoted ideals, the IOs' initiatives resolved these blocking effects of national transformation capacities and had a substantial impact on German education policy making.
In einem ersten Schritt werden die Bildungslandschaft der Bundesrepublik skizziert und die zurückliegenden Jahrzehnte der Nicht-Reform dargestellt. Anschließend wird auf die Teilnahme und das Abschneiden Deutschlands bei PISA eingegangen. Es folgt ein exemplarischer Blick auf den PISA-Schock in den deutschen Printmedien, vor dessen Hintergrund ein umfassender Wandel des Bildungssystems realisert wurde. Abschließend wird untersucht, welchen Einfluss die OECD mit PISA auf Deutschland nehmen konnte und wie es der OECD gelang, eine derartige Wirkung auf das deutsche Schulwesen zu entfalten. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass die OECD ihren Einfluss auf das deutsche Bildungssystem vorrangig dadurch generierte, dass sie mit ihrem Ranking den nationalen Problemdruck steigerte und zugleich eine Umdeutung des deutschen Bildungsverständnisses bewirkte. (ICE2).
Because the competence for education is situated within the German Länder, this level is taken into account by focusing on Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Both are suitable for analysis because they are comparatively similar in terms of population. In contrast, the political preconditions are significantly different in each. While NRW's political structure is shaped by a more social-democratic tradition, Bavaria is influenced by conservative political forces. To conduct the analysis the author drew on the methods of document analysis and expert interviews [...]. Primary documents were taken from official publications of IOs and the German institutions of education policymaking. Additionally, 13 semi-standardized expert interviews were conducted with German education experts, comprising representatives of Federal and Länder ministries of education, officials from coordinating administrative institutions, education-related unions, and education researchers. In the next section of this chapter the systems of secondary and higher education in Germany are described by focusing on the political dimension of education policymaking. Against the background of historical developments in both areas the basic features of Germany's education system - and thus its national transformation capacities - are summarized. The third section focuses on implemented secondary and higher education reforms in Germany since the 1980s and highlights the most important changes on the level of policy, politics, and polity. Here, a clear distinction between a pre-PISA/Bologna period and a post-PISA/Bologna period can be drawn. The emergence of both international processes triggered comprehensive reform dynamics in Germany. The fourth section of this chapter directly links the reform processes to both IO governance instruments and national transformation capacities. The author analyzes how the impact of international initiatives is mediated through national factors and how IOs succeeded in influencing secondary education as well as higher education. The conclusion contrasts the empirical findings with the introduced theoretical framework and gives an outlook for further research. (DIPF/Orig.).
The German sectors of secondary and higher education witnessed far-reaching changes in the last decade. Comprehensive reforms were introduced that essentially altered the educational structure as well as the procedures in policy making. These reforms were massively influenced by international initiatives namely the OECD's PISA study and the Bologna Process accompanied by the EU Commission. Both IOs succeeded in impacting German education reforms by applying various governance instruments that can be described as soft governance. Albeit multiple veto points were present in Germany and traditional German principles of education were contrary to the promoted ideals, the IOs' initiatives resolved these blocking effects of national transformation capacities and had a substantial impact on German education policy making. ; In der letzten Dekade haben weitreichende Reformen den sekundären und tertiären Bildungssektor in Deutschland nachhaltig verändert. Dies gilt sowohl für die Strukturen des Schul- bzw. Hochschulbereichs als auch für den Aspekt der Politikgestaltung im Bildungsbereich. Der zu beobachtende Reformprozess ist maßgeblich von Initiativen auf internationaler Ebene angestoßen und beeinflusst worden - namentlich durch die PISA-Studie der OECD und den Bologna-Prozess, welcher mehr und mehr mit der EU zu assoziieren ist. In beiden Fällen wurde durch die Anwendung vornehmlich weicher Steuerungsmechanismen maßgeblich Einfluss auf die Reformprozesse genommen. Obwohl in Deutschland zahlreiche institutionelle Vetopunkte im Bereich der Bildungspolitik existieren und die traditionellen Prinzipien des deutschen Bildungsverständnisses den von der internationalen Ebene beförderten Idealen teilweise diametral gegenüberstanden, gelang es beiden Internationalen Organisationen bzw. Initiativen diese blockierenden Effekte zu umgehen bzw. zu neutralisieren.
How can international comparisons have an impact on one country while others are not affected at all? This paper examines the power of ratings & rakings (R&R) using the example of the OECD's PISA study (Programme for International Student Assessment) and its differential impact on national education policy making. We argue that R&R have an impact if the evaluated topic is framed as crucial for national objectives and if, at the same time, a substantial gap between national self-perception and the empirical results can be observed. After assessing the media impact of PISA on 22 OECD countries, we illustrate our theoretical argument through the use of examples of two poorly performing countries who demonstrated entirely opposite reactions: Germany and the U.S. While the German system of secondary education was strongly affected by the international comparison and underwent comprehensive changes, the U.S. did not respond to its below-average ranking at all. The theoretical concepts of self-perception and framing offer explanatory power to delineate the different reaction patterns. ; Wie kommt es, dass internationale Vergleichsstudien bestimmte Staaten substantiell beeinflussen andere jedoch nicht? Am Beispiel der OECD PISA-Studie untersucht dieses Arbeitspapier den Einfluss von Rankings und Ratings (R&R) auf nationale Bildungspolitiken. Wir argumentieren, dass R&R besonders dann einen Einfluss entfalten, wenn der evaluierte Gegenstand zum einen als entscheidender Politikbereich verstanden wird und wenn gleichzeitig eine Diskrepanz zwischen nationaler Selbstwahrnehmung und empirisch erzieltem Ergebnis besteht. Nach Darstellung der Medienreaktionen in 22 OECD-Ländern wird unsere Argumentation am Beispiel von zwei gegensätzlich reagierenden Ländern illustriert: Deutschland und den USA. Während in Deutschland die negativen PISA-Ergebnisse zu einem umfassenden Bildungsdiskurs und zu massiven Bildungsreformen geführt haben, zeigten die USA keine öffentliche oder gar politische Reaktion auf ihre ebenfalls negativen Resultate.
Intro -- Acknowledgments -- Praise for International Organizations in Global Social Governance -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- Abbreviations -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Part I: Introduction -- Chapter 1: The Architecture of Arguments in Global Social Governance: Examining Populations and Discourses of International Organizations in Social Policies -- Introduction -- Studying IOs and Social Policy -- Global Governance of Social Policy Fields -- Global Governance as IO Involvement in Social Policy Fields -- Populations of IOs: Organizational Field and Institutional Design -- Organizational Field: Topography of IOs -- Institutional Design: Intrinsic Features of IOs -- Discourses of IOs: Cognitive Authority and Soft Governance -- Cognitive Authority: Legitimacy and Reputation of IOs -- Soft Governance: IOs as Broadcasters of Ideas and Policies -- Structure of the Book -- References -- Part II: Labor and Migration -- Chapter 2: International Organizations' Involvement in Youth Unemployment as a Global Policy Field, and the Global Financial Crisis -- Introduction -- Mapping the IO 'Population' and Discourses -- Dominant Actors: The Policy Discourses of the ILO and World Bank -- Other Significant Actors: UNESCO's and OECD's Policy Discourses -- Recent Entrants: UNICEF's and IMF's Policy Discourses -- Partnerships and IOs: Disseminating Knowledge, Ideas and Discourses -- Collaboration, Cooperation, Separation: Endogenous Partnership -- Coexistence, Contestation, Division: Exogenous Partnership -- Concluding Comments -- References -- Chapter 3: International Organizations and Global Labor Standards -- Introduction -- Mapping the Population and Discourses of IOs Active in the Field of Global Labor Standards -- The International Labour Organization: The Promoter of Labor Standards as a Social Project.
International Organizations (IOs) are important actors within global social governance. They provide forums for exchange, contention and cooperation about social policies. Our knowledge about the involvement of IOs varies significantly by policy fields, and we know comparatively little about the specific roles of IOs in social policies. This volume enhances and systematizes our understanding of IOs in global social governance. It provides studies on a variety of social policy fields in which different, but also the same, IOs operate. The chapters shed light on IO involvement in a particular social policy field by describing the population of participating IOs; exploring how a particular global social policy field is constituted as a whole, and which dominant IOs set the trends. The contributors also examine the discourse within, and between, these IOs on the respective social policies. As such, this first-of-its kind book contributes to research on social policy and international relations, both in terms of theoretical substantiation and empirical scope.
This open access book enhances and systematizes our understanding of IOs in global social governance. It provides studies on a variety of social policy fields in which different, but also the same, International Organizations (IOs) operate. The chapters shed light on IO involvement in a particular social policy field by describing the population of participating IOs; exploring how a particular global social policy field is constituted as a whole, and which dominant IOs set the trends. The contributors also examine the discourse within, and between, these IOs on the respective social policies. As such, this first-of-its kind book contributes to research on social policy and international relations, both in terms of theoretical substantiation and empirical scope.
This chapter locates children's rights in the context of global social governance. Social policy literature has hitherto neglected the centrality of child protection and children's rights to many key areas of social governance such as education and healthcare. The chapter traces the history of children's rights as a distinct sphere in international law from the first recognition of the special status of children, to the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to the growth of the contemporary complex International Organization (IO) landscape. Children's rights enjoy growing visibility and relevance and continue to be a cross-cutting issue in international organizations of all kinds, making them a central dimension of global social governance. Nonetheless, the chapter highlights that the growth of the children's rights agenda has not been without conflict. International norms and measures surrounding children's rights continue to be challenged and questioned by scholars and practitioners alike. Furthermore, the analysis of children's rights provides opportunities to reconsider traditional approaches to global social policy.
In: Von der Forschung zur evidenzbasierten Entscheidung. Die Darstellung und das öffentliche Verständnis der empirischen Bildungsforschung., S. 141-166
Die OECD wird heute als maßgebliche Autorität im Politikfeld Bildung betrachtet. Dies ist insofern bemerkenswert, da diese internationale Organisation keinerlei formale Steuerungskapazitäten im Bildungsbereich besitzt und nationale Politikgestaltung lediglich mit weichen Governance-Mechanismen wie Benchmarking sowie der Verbreitung von Ideen und Informationen beeinflussen kann. Am Beispiel von PISA wird in diesem Beitrag veranschaulicht, wie die OECD hohe öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit erreicht und politischen Druck erzeugt, nationale Bildungspolitiken im Sinne der von PISA aufgezeigten Best Practices zu reformieren. Basierend auf den politikwissenschaftlichen Ansätzen zu Governance, Diffusion und Public Policy zeigen wir, wie das OECD-Benchmarking zur Verbreitung international anerkannter Bildungspraktiken beitragen und Bildungsreformen in verschiedenen Nationalstaaten wie Deutschland, der Schweiz und den USA beeinflussen konnte. Dabei können nationale politische Institutionen und historische Traditionen die Wirkkraft der internationalen Benchmarking-Prozesse lenken. (DIPF/Orig.).;;;The OECD is regarded as an authority in the field of contemporary education policy. This is particularly remarkable since this international organization does not have any binding governance instruments at its disposal. The OECD is just able to influence national policy-making with soft governance mechanisms. This article demonstrates that with its international education study 'PISA', the OECD was able to create public attention and political pressure to introduce national education reforms according to best practice examples as revealed with the help of PISA. Based on theoretical accounts on governance, diffusion, and public policy, it is shown that the OECD benchmarking substantially contributed to the diffusion of education practices and influenced education reforms at the national level in Germany, Switzerland, and the USA. Thereby, the impact of international benchmarking was moderated by domestic political institutions and historical traditions. (DIPF/Orig.).
