Beyond symbolic policy making: The Copenhagen School, migration, and the marked-unmarked analogue

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-380
Author(s):  
Sabine Hirschauer
Keyword(s):  
Social Construction ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Southern Germany ◽  
Copenhagen School ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Symbolic Meanings ◽  
Migrant Organizations

This article problematizes the securitization of migration through symbolic policy discourse. Policy as discourse is not innocent. It creates not only instrumental outcomes, but can also signal deeply ideological and profound, symbolic meanings.  This study discusses Germany’s controversial ANKER Center policy as a form of such symbolic signaling. Distinguishing between negative and positive securitization, this article then brings into focus the non-linear, non-fixed, political, and social construction of these two forms of securitization in the context of migration. Framed in part by the author’s ongoing field work with migrant organizations and volunteer groups in southern Germany, this article draws specific attention to a discursive marked-unmarked asymmetry. It then applies the sociologists’ method of ‘marking everything’ as a strategy to ‘write against’ securitization’s negative logic—toward a positive, more inclusive migration agenda.    

scholarly journals TÜRK DIŞ POLİTİKASINDA DAVUTOĞLU DÖNEMİ VE STRATEJİK DERİNLİK DOKTRİNİ: GÜNEY KAFKASYA ÜLKELERI ÖRNEĞİ

2021 ◽  
pp. 160-177
Author(s):  
Seçil ÖRAZ BEŞİKÇİ
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Foreign Relations ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
General Elections ◽  
Foreign Policy Strategies

The Justice and Development Party (JDP) and its new cadre have entered into Turkish political life by the general elections held in 2002. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, one of the members of the new cadre, has been considered as the architect of foreign policy discourse and practices pursued under JDP rule between 2002-2016. Davutoğlu has become both the theoretician and the practitioner of foreign policy strategies, which has been built on his “Strategic Depth Doctrine”. Davutoğlu has aimed to reach a new foreign policy strategy by the new principles such as “multidimensional foreign policy”, “rhythmic diplomacy”, “zero problems with neighbors”, “maximum international cooperation”, “proactive foreign policy” and “order instituting actor”. In these contexts, the aim of the paper is twofold. The 􀏐irst one is to 􀏐ind out whether Davutoğlu’s new foreign policy principles have been implemented in the foreign policy-making processes of the South Caucasus states of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia and, if yes, the second one is to de􀏐ine the policy re􀏐lections over Turkey’s foreign relations with these states. For this aim, three speci􀏐ic cases, which are critical to these states, have been selected: the Russian-Georgian War (2008), the Armenian Opening, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Con􀏐lict. The method of discourse analysis has been utilized and Davutoğlu’s books, articles, interviews, and speeches have been reviewed.

Bureaucrats, Businesses, and Economic Policies in a Globalized China

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ling Chen
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Foreign Capital ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Single Level ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
National Campaigns ◽  
City Policy

This chapter introduces background on emergence of national campaigns to cultivate domestic competitiveness in contrast to China’s previous role as the “world’s workshop.” It reveals the divergent ways in which localities responded to and carried out policies. The chapter accounts for such variation by breaking down the assumption of a coherent and single-level state that is inherent in the state-centric approach, while at the same time disaggregating the influence of foreign capital assumed by the FDI-driven perspective. By examining the interaction of foreign capital and local states, the chapter discusses how globalization influences the rise of investment-seeking states, the bureaucratic coalitions in city policy making, the effectiveness of policies for local firms, and the varieties of local capitalism. It also discusses the logic of the research design, the major sites of field work, and the sources of qualitative and quantitative data that the book draws on.

scholarly journals The European Union as a Trigger of Discursive Change: The Impact of the Structural Deficit Rule in Estonia and Latvia

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ringa Raudla ◽  
Aleksandrs Cepilovs ◽  
Rainer Kattel ◽  
Linda Sutt
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Budget Deficit ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Policy Actors ◽  
Fiscal Compact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structural Budget

Abstract Our paper explores how a rule prescribed by the European Union can bring about changes in the policy discourse of a member state. Drawing on the literatures of discursive institutionalism and Europeanization, the theoretical part discusses the factors that influence discursive shifts. The empirical part examines the discursive impacts of the introduction of the structural budget deficit rule, required by the Fiscal Compact, in Estonia and Latvia. It demonstrates how the discursive shifts have been shaped by the localized translations offered by civil servants, the entrance of additional actors to the policy-making arena, crisis experience, and the strategic interests of policy actors.

scholarly journals The Social Construction of Retirement and Evolving Policy Discourse of Working Longer – CORRIGENDUM

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-587
Author(s):  
PHILIP TAYLOR ◽  
CATHERINE EARL
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Early Exit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Short Termism

In the April 2016 issue of the Journal of Social Policy (vol 45, part 2 pp251-268), there was an article by Philip Taylor and Catherine Earl entitled ‘The Social Construction of Retirement and Evolving Policy Discourse of Working Longer’ which contains the following statement: “The case for early exit was argued, in part, on the back of efforts to re-distribute work to the young. Macnicol (2008) describes this as ‘misguided short-termism’ attempting to facilitate economic modernisation” (p251). This should have read “Macnicol (2008) describes as incorrect commentary that this was ‘misguided short-termism’ attempting to facilitate economic modernisation.” The authors acknowledge that the statement in their article was incorrect and apologise for this oversight.

scholarly journals Brownfield Management in Greece. The Case of Piraeus

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Tousi Evgenia ◽  
Serraos Konstantinos
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Field Work ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Brownfield Redevelopment ◽  
Brownfield Sites ◽  
Administrative Area ◽  
Ultimate Purpose ◽  
Brownfield Management

The article presents the main findings of a research associated with brownfield redevelopment in Greece. The regional administrative area of Piraeus is used as a pilot case study. Taking into account the international literature, the article presents the contemporary condition in Greece emphasizing on key-obstacles that hinder rehabilitation and reuse of brownfield sites. The research includes field work. Thematic maps depict the current condition of brownfield sites around Piraeus port, using as key-categories the former use, the current use, the system of ownership, the prices of land, the level of soil contamination. This cartographic depiction functions as a necessary tool for policy making on urban regeneration. The conclusions derived from field work provide useful information for further research. The ultimate purpose of the article is to highlight the contemporary problems in Greece, making the appropriate connections with the international experience on the field.  

4. Constructivism and foreign policy

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trine Flockhart
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Cold War ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
European Security ◽  
Basic Assumptions ◽  
Constructivist View ◽  
Policy Relevance ◽  
The Cold War

This chapter examines the basic assumptions and foreign policy relevance of constructivism. Using European security as an illustrative example, it shows that constructivism is a valuable tool not only for understanding foreign policy, but also as a guide for prescribing foreign policy. The chapter first explains what constructivism is, outlining the constructivist view that anarchy exists in different forms with major implications for how agents act. It then considers some of the main propositions and conceptual tools of constructivism, with particular emphasis on its arguments regarding identity, social construction, rules, and practice. It also analyses constructivism’s alternative understandings of NATO’s role after the end of the Cold War and in present-day European security. It asserts that theory is important in foreign policy making — including constructivism — because different theories imply different policies and may make alternative policy options visible which would otherwise easily have been overlooked.

scholarly journals Late neoliberalism: Delineating a policy regime

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian McGimpsey
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Policy Regime ◽  
Fiscal Constraint ◽  
Post Industrial

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, policy-making in post-industrial nations has been widely characterised in terms of austerity. Yet this provides an insufficient basis for an understanding of social policy-making at this time. I argue for a ‘late neoliberal’ phase distinguished by a change in the regime governing the emergence of public service formations. I work from the example of UK policy discourse to demonstrate how in late neoliberalism austerity, social investment and localism operate in conjunction. Beyond fiscal constraint, this conjunction serves to move social policy on from ‘quasi-marketisation’ to reflect more closely the logic and forms of finance capital. The effects of this change can be seen in the reconstitution of ‘value’ in public services, how capital is distributed, and in the subjectivating force of policy. Ultimately late neoliberalism serves to sustain and reproduce familiar relations of domination.

Capital verification and auditor liability: evidence from China

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 657-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingfa Lu ◽  
Falconer Mitchell ◽  
Chris Pong
Keyword(s):  
Social Construction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Company Law ◽  
Social Construction Of Reality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Auditor Liability ◽  
Outright Rejection ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
Chinese Company

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the different perspectives of auditors and non-auditors on this question, along with the rationale and impact of these differences. Chinese company law requires an audit report on paid-up capital when business entities are newly formed or their capital altered, which raises questions regarding the liability of auditors should the business entities fail. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted to analyse how legislation can impact on interested parties in a relatively immature audit environment. The theories of social construction of reality and symbolic interactionism are used as a basis for explaining the different conceptions of capital verification held by interested parties. Findings – There is a mismatch between the purpose of capital verification and the functions of paid-up capital. Paid-up capital is not a reliable indicator of business liquidity and creditworthiness. Auditors and non-auditors have different understandings about the assurance provided by paid-up capital at the point of company formation or auditing field work, and at the point of actual trading after the company formation or auditing field work. They also differ on the causation between deficient capital verification reports and trading loss. The liability crisis adversely influenced auditors’ perception of the capital verification service, although it did not lead to outright rejection by them. Originality/value – This paper describes an important compliance auditing service in China. By conducting an analysis of the conflicting views of auditors and non-auditors on capital verification, it contributes to the existing literature on the sources of disputes between auditors and other stakeholders, and the efforts to establish a balanced auditor liability regime.

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