Consensus, Experientiality and Network Centrality in Transnational Governance

When experts with diverse training and experiential backgrounds come together to make binding decisions they face the challenge of finding common ground in the absence of any particular shared abstract body of knowledge or organization specific set of evaluative principles. How does consensus emerge in situations marked by contentious friction? Network theory suggests that connectivity enables orchestration of alignment and coordination across difference. Occupants of strategically central positions in networks can thus be formally identified from the structural characteristics of those positions (White et al. 1976; Burt 1992, 2010; Vedres and Stark 2010). But the formal characteristics of positions only tell us about the potential advantage of occupants. Actual advantage is about mobilizing action from network positions to influence what goes on in the network (Burt 2010, 223ff). What does it take for occupants of advantageous position to take action on specific collective problems in the face of contentious situations

Issue Professionals in Transnational Networks

Professionals and organizations both seek to exploit and cooperate with each other. Professionals seek alliances in their own peer networks while organizations do the same. These networks carry not only information that inform incentives but norms about appropriate forms of governance and practices that guide how they actually work. In this paper we outline how professionals and organizations operate in two-level networks through a focus on issue control over issues of transnational governance. As such, this interdisciplinary paper brings together insights from Organization Studies and International Relations to discuss how professionals and organizations battle over issue control through the designation of tasks and the creation of overlapping networks. We outline the emergence of ‘issue professionals’ and how they attempt network management. We do so via a case on transnational sustainability certification that demonstrates how issue professionals are engaged in two-level networks

Redaktionelt forord

Den Bæredygtige Stat er titlen på en bog, som Rasmus Willig og undertegnede, Anders Blok, udgav i efteråret 2020 på Hans Reitzels Forlag. Titlen henviser til en international debat i den samfundsfaglige miljøforskning om rammevilkår og muligheder for dét, litteraturen kalder miljøstaten, den grønne stat eller netop den bæredygtige stat. Her er tale om såvel et normativt ideal som et empirisk forskningsbegreb. Overordnet søger begrebet at udmåle distancen mellem staters faktiske natur-, miljø- og klimatiltag og så den voldsomme udfordring, som særligt klima- og biodiversitetskriserne udgør for det 21. århundrede. Med afsæt i vores forskning fremsætter Willig og undertegnede i bogen en sociologisk analyse af denne distance i en nutidig, dansk kontekst. Hermed søger vi samtidig at vække til faglig og offentlig debat om de sociale mulighedsbetingelser for en mere ambitiøs og mere rettidig grøn omstilling

Indlejret Visdom – En Netværksanalyse af De Økonomiske Vismænd

Approaches to the connection between economic science and politics that is based on institutional theory or Actor-network theory, stress the importance of economic ideas and scienti c models and instruments on the substantive content of policy processes. In contrast this article argues for the importance of analyzing the way economic scienti c experts are embedded in broader social structures and institutions, through the application of network-analytical methods. e article presents an analysis of the Economic Council, where a range of quantitative tools is employed to describe the positions and divergent roles of the members in the broader economic policy networks in Denmark.

Redaktionelt forord

Coronakrisen har været definerende for stort set alle forhold i samfundslivet i 2020. Fremkomsten af det nye COVID-19-virus og bestræbelserne på at begrænse den medfølgende pandemi har sat dagsordenen for både økonomi, politik og civilsamfund. Selvom der i første omgang er tale om en sundhedskrise, har coronakrisen medført forandringer og påvirket den bredere samfundsmæssige udvikling i en næsten uhørt grad. Forskere og beslutningstagere har lige fra krisens start forsøgt at skabe et overblik over omfanget af disse påvirkninger af samfundslivet og prøvet at analysere og begrebsliggøre, hvordan de kan forstås og håndteres. Dette temanummer har til formål at præsentere en række af de aktuelle forskningsprojekter og analyser fra Danmark, som har coronakrisen som omdrejningspunkt