Transnational learning processes: European and Nordic experiences in the employment field

This paper analyses and compares the transnational learning processes in the employment field in the European Union and among the Nordic countries. Based theoretically on a social constructivist model of learning and methodologically on a questionnaire distributed to the relevant participants, a number of hypotheses concerning transnational learning processes are tested. The paper closes with a number of suggestions regarding an optimal institutional setting for facilitating transnational learning processes.Transnational learning, Open Method of Coordination, Learning, Employment, European Employment Strategy, European Union, Nordic countries

The open method of co-ordination and the analysis of mutual learning processes of the European employment strategy

The purpose of this paper is to address two normative and interlinked methodological and theoretical questions concerning the Open Method of Coordination (OMC): First, what is the most appropriate approach to learning in the analyses of the processes of the European Employment Strategy (EES)? Second, how should mutual learning processes be diffused among the Member States in order to be efficient? In answering these two questions the paper draws on a social constructivist approach to learning thereby contributing to the debate about learning in the political science literature. At the same time, based on the literature and participatory observations, it is concluded that the learning effects of the EES are probably somewhat larger than what is normally suggested, but that successful diffusion still depends on a variety of contextual factors. At the end of the paper a path for empirical research based upon a social constructivist approach to learning is suggested.OMC, Social constructivism, Learning, Discourse analysis, Policy diffusion, European Employment Strategy

Mutual learning in the European employment strategy: how? how much?

Mutual learning among the Member States is the primary purpose of the employment policy of the European Union. The two most important questions in this regard are how learning occurs and how much learning takes place. In this article I argue that the existing analyses of the effects of learning in the European employment strategy have been either determined by the sender’s interests or have underestimated how mutual learning between countries takes place. In stead the article develops a constructivist approach to learning and uses it to generate some concrete hypothesis about when learning in committees is most likely to take place. Afterwards, this constructivist approach is used to analyse the institutional framework surrounding the European employment strategy in order to evaluate whether the potential for learning is optimal. Finally, the article concludes that even though some basic premises for learning is fulfilled, the potential for mutual learning could and should be increased by implemented at range of concrete institutional reforms. Firstly, a range of professional and autonomous sub-committees which reports to the EMCO should be established. Secondly, the EMCO should be given more time to discuss the national action plans in meetings which more loosely defined agendas. Thirdly, the cooperation should be concentrated around the areas where the differences in terms of policy performances among the Member States are greatest. Fourthly, the president of the EMCO should be given a more prominent role at the expense of the Commission. Finally, the members of the EMCO should to a higher extent come from the directorates in the Member states rather than the minister’s departments.Mutual learning, European employment strategy,

The political economy of the clean development mechanism (CDM) governance system.

In spite of the exponentially increasing volume of the CDM system of the Kyoto Protocol, very few have so far come up with scholarly political economy analysis of its governance system. Based on interviews with the CDM system’s main stakeholders as well as through scrutiny of CDM related documents, this paper will contribute to filling this hole. In this respect, it is assumed that the political economy analysis can be based on two analytical concepts: First, the CDM governance system has to be legitimate (the political side of the system), i.e. seen as broadly acceptable and accountable by its stakeholders as well as the broader public. Second, the CDM governance system has to be efficient (the economic side of the system), i.e. involve as few transaction costs as possible. Based on these concepts, the paper analyses the present balances of the CDM governance system.CDM, climate policy, legitimacy, efficiency

The analysis of mutual learning processes in the European employment strategy: a social constructivist approach

The paper is structured as follows: Section 2 summarizes the recent debate in the political science literature on analytical approaches to learning, which has gradually developed in a direction of being less and less individualistic. Section 3 follows up on this development and introduces a social constructivist approach to learning that redefines learning as changes in language-constituted relations to others. In section 4 this argument is elaborated into a model for mutual learning. Section 5 contains a qualitative analysis of the organisation of the EES in practice with regard to the possibilities of policy diffusion of the EES learning processes as predicted in the model in section 4. Section 6 deals with the conflictual views on the size and character of the learning processes of the EES in recent studies and proposes a new methodological path to investigate the mutual learning processes based upon a social constructivist approach. Section 7 is the conclusion of the article which sums up the examination of the both the various approaches to learning analysed in the paper and the evaluation of the possibilities of policy diffusion resulting from the learning processes.Mutual learning, European employment strategy, social constructivism

The Open method of co-ordination and the analysis of mutual learning processes of the European employment strategy: methodological and theoretical considerations

The purpose of this paper is solely to address two interlinked methodological and theoretical questions concerning the Open Method of Coordination (OMC), using the European Employment Strategy as a case: First, what is the most appropriate approach to learning in the analyses of the processes of the European Employment Strategy (EES)? Second, how is mutual learning processes diffused among the Member States? In answering these two questions the paper draws on a social constructivist approach to learning thereby contributing to the debate about learning in the political science literature. At the same time, based on this concept of learning, it is concluded that the learning effects of the EES are probably somewhat larger than what is normally suggested, but that successful diffusion still depends on a variety of contextual factors.OMC, Social constructivism, Learning, Discourse analysis, Policy diffusion, European Employment Strategy

An algorithm for lifting points in a tropical variety

The aim of this paper is to give a constructive proof of one of the basic theorems of tropical geometry: given a point on a tropical variety (defined using initial ideals), there exists a Puiseux-valued ``lift'' of this point in the algebraic variety. This theorem is so fundamental because it justifies why a tropical variety (defined combinatorially using initial ideals) carries information about algebraic varieties: it is the image of an algebraic variety over the Puiseux series under the valuation map. We have implemented the ``lifting algorithm'' using Singular and Gfan if the base field are the rational numbers. As a byproduct we get an algorithm to compute the Puiseux expansion of a space curve singularity in (K^{n+1},0).Comment: 33 page