Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.06.00 |
Social sciences |
Political science |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S170 |
Social sciences |
Political and administrative sciences |
globalisation, Europeanisation, Slovenia, political theories and concepts, policy analysis, European Union, world, democracy, political system, political elites, political parties, parliament, executive power, public administration, civil servants, public policies, civil society, political science, interests, public policy-making, common European policies, nation, state, citizen, civic education for democracy
Researchers (22)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The research interest focuses on the processes of change in the world, especially in the European region, that are relevant to political science. The research group is especially interested in three aspects of the processes of globalisation and Europeanisation:
1. CONTENTS - ACCORDING TO THE SUBJECT OF RESEARCH (as described below).
2. UNITS OF ANALYSIS, such as: a) collective: various forms or levels of state, nation, organisations, interest groups, movements, associations, networks; and b) the individual /citizen.
3. SHIFTING CENTRES OF POWER AND CHANGING RELATIONS between various forms and levels of state and civil society.
Beside classical theoretical approaches - functionalism, pluralism, realism, structuralism, neo-institutionalism (reviews of approaches are available in works by authors such as Ben Rosemond, Simon Hix, Laura Cram) - more recent concepts of deliberative and cosmopolitan democracy (e.g. works by J. Elster, David Miller, Joshua Cohen, David Held, Norberto Bobbio, Richard Falk, Daniele Archibugi), policy networks as a form of governance (Tanja Boerzel), multi-level governance (Gary Marks, Andersen and Eliassen) as well as more recent theories on power in politics (such as Philip G. Cerny, Henri Goverde, Mark Haugaard, Howard Lentner) will be taken into account.
A) RESEARCH ON THE SLOVENIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM"S ADAPTATION TO THE CHALLENGES OF EU POLICY-TAKING AND PARTICIPATION IN EU POLICY-MAKING;
B) THEORETICAL RESEARCH INTO THE PROCESSES OF GLOBALISATION AND EUROPEANISATION;
C) POLITICAL SCIENCE (AS A SUBJECT OF RESEARCH) IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION.
The primary goals include research into the following dimensions:
1. the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATION in making supranational policies and political science knowledge (policy/knowledge-making) AND IMPORTING or supranational - especially common European policies or political science knowledge (policy/knowledge-taking);
2. the formation of NEW PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF THE CITIZEN (relationships between local, national, regional-EU and global political participation);
3. INDICATORS OF DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY in Slovenian governmental and non-governmental actors" practice in the circumstances of globalisation and Europeanisation; and
4. POLITICAL SCIENCE in Slovenia in the context of Europeanisation and globalisation.
The research is theoretical and empirical. It will be based on both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Comparative (international and longitudinal) research is a special concern. Besides this, the following research approaches will be applied: (neo)institutionalism, behaviourism and policy analysis. The planned research methods and techniques include: interviews, public opinion surveys and content analyses. It is anticipated that electronic archives of documents and databases for international comparative and longitudinal research will be some of the research outputs. An additional method involves continuous experimental learning (teaching of social science in primary and high schools).
Significance for science
The research programme has been crucial for the development of political science in Slovenia in line with the main political science fields and research streams in today’s most developed areas of political science. Quality political science research in Slovenia has included a combination of theory and rich empirical research based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. Academic research has been significantly shaped by applied research directly linking academic practice with real-world phenomena. It is especially international comparative research that has contributed to the development of political science theory published in internationally recognised academic journals. Slovenian political science has already become visible by achieving important levels of participation in international political science networking. Particularly at the end of the 2004-2008 research programme period the research programme group also started to alter the research agenda determined by international research projects and networks’ demands for ‘case studies on Slovenia’ with more ambitious autonomous research agenda based on independently determined theoretical-methodological frameworks of international comparative research (always including Slovenia). In the next research programme period the further enhancement of the development of more innovative political science contributions to international political science knowledge based on international comparative research is planned, together with a more ambitious role within the international academic community.
Significance for the country
a) The research programme has been just as important for Slovenia as all other research programmes addressing national identity and culture in the changing national, international and supranational contexts. Political institutions and their functioning, political culture and civil society activities as well as how they are changing through history are to some extent particular to each society. The research programme results (especially the results of international comparative research) are valuable in the process of the (trans) formation of institutions in Slovenia since Slovenian society and its political (sub)system are adapting to the social, politico-cultural and institutional environment of the European Union. In the context of Europeanisation, unresolved questions remain as to how to facilitate the competent functioning of Slovenian political elites, the public administration, political parties and civil society in the new circumstances of increasingly difficult and complex policy-making. It is expected that Slovenian political institutions will reveal a greater interest in co-operating with political scientists in the future – especially in relation to the specific questions of institution-building and building of communication channels for more efficient multi-level political decision-making and the implementation of common European policies in Slovenia. b) The political science research programme has developed an extremely rich synergy between research and university education in Slovenia. Since three members of the research team (Dr. Fink Hafner, Dr. Ferfila and Dr. Zajc) have been the heads of three postgraduate political science programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, the research has been efficiently linked precisely to those postgraduate programmes that attract high enrolment levels of employees of Slovenia’s public administration. Advancements in core research fields together with newly opened research areas have contributed to the development of political science programmes and courses in the framework of the Bologna reform at all levels at the Faculty of Social Sciences as well as at the doctoral level together with the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana. c) The rich practice of applied research coupled with some expertise and advice has ensured the transfer of applied political science findings to the practical functioning of political institutions, especially when preparing methodologies used in evaluating specific public policies and to some extent in institution-building, as well as to other policy stake-holders. d) The research has not only contributed to national knowledge of international opportunities and weaknesses of the how Slovenia’s political system functions. At the same time, researchers have successfully contributed to the spreading of knowledge about Slovenia in the international public (especially through foreign publications, presenting research results in the framework of international collaboration with other scientists and institutions, participation at international conferences and workshops abroad, the organisation of international conferences in Slovenia). In the framework of European integration the dissemination of research results has been particularly important for revealing both similarities and dissimilarities between Slovenia and new and old EU members as well as other former Yugoslav republics. e) The research has also contributed to both the development of Slovenian political science terminology, the consolidation of democratic practices in the education field as well Slovenian political science achieving greater recognition within the international political science community (especially by publishing research results abroad and participating in international research projects, networks, regional and global political science associations).
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
