Site of research: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere
Project director: Professor Pertti Alasuutari
Sponsor: Academy of Finland (2016-2020)
Project description
While previous research indicates that a global synchronization of national policies is due to epistemic governance that relies on authoritative views of reality, the project scrutinizes how such authority – or epistemic capital – is constructed and what the role of international organizations plays in the process. It is hypothesized that policymakers and civil servants have a double role in establishing and participating in international networks and organizations and in utilizing these organizations’ epistemic capital to demand reforms in the domestic context. By studying the formation and functioning of several international organizations and the activities of national policymakers both within them and within national politics, the project addresses the question about the purpose of such networking from the viewpoint of national actors. The final objective is to build and further develop a better understanding of the synchronization of national policies via epistemic governance.