Europeanizing the National Education Space? Adjusting to the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) in the UK

Abstract

This article examines the reception of the education Open Method of Coordination (OMC) in the UK as an aspect of Europeanization of national administrations. It addresses relationships between political and administrative actors in the process of responding to the education OMC. We argue that despite progress with institutionalization of the education OMC at the EU level, there is limited institutionalization of the education OMC at the national level. Against the backdrop of UK skepticism about engaging with the EU integration project, the interesting finding is the administrative strategies employed for deflecting EU influence on the national education space.

Re-compartmentalizing local policies? The translation and mediation of European structural funds in Sweden

“…Here, we also relate our findings to previous discussions on the Europeanization of education policy (see e.g. Alexiadou and Lange 2015). In terms of organizational change, we argue that the process of 'matching' municipal goals into an EU framework entails processes of translations that, in turn, constitute an inherent shift in organizational form from permanent (mandatory) activities to temporary (project) organizations.…”

“…As Pia Cort (2010, 332) notes, these endeavors raise questions regarding both how 'processes translate into policies at national level and how they should be researched'. A body of literature has also discussed processes of Europeanization in relation to governing, where the focus has been on the relations between European integration and domestic policy-making (Alexiadou and Lange 2015). In what Radelli (2004, 5) describes as the so-called second generation of Europeanization studies, Europeanization is no longer seen as a specific form of theorization, but rather the concept can be understood as an '"orchestration" of existing concepts and theories, with major theoretical import from comparative politics and theoretical policy analysis'.…”

“…In relation to Europeanization, this can be understood as informal bottom-up processes of adapting, accommodating, and adjusting (cf. Alexiadou & Lange, 2015). It is also important to emphasize that processes of translation create not only changes in policies in terms of substance or content but also changes in organizational outcomes (Latour 1986;Lavén 2008, 32;Czarniawska and Joerges, Sevón 1996).…”

Building bridges over troubled waters: Administrative change at the regional level in European, multilevel water management

“…In empirical terms, it has a limited scope and does not support statistical generalizations across the heterogeneity of WFD implementation. Research on the implementation on the WFD in the member states, points as uneven implementation and a variation of administrative solutions Zampuratti & Homeyer, 2012).…”

Responding to ‘crisis’: Education policy research in Europe

“…Not all research on education policy can do all of these things at the same time, and for the last few years, we observe that researchers on the ‘Europe of knowledge’ have been divided by their disciplines and sub-disciplines, along different theoretical and methodological lines, and across policy sectors (Chou, 2016: 197). Still, despite their differences in theoretical approach and specific focus, what unites these researchers is their desire to understand the process of European integration and what it actually means for education policy, concentrating on the dual ‘traffic’ of policy movement and policy ideas: The ways that institutions of the state are adjusting to external policy requirements, expectations or pressures through implementation of changes, their mediation and embeddedness in local contexts (see Alexiadou and Lange, 2015; Halász and Michel, 2011; Helgøy and Homme, 2015; Štremfel and Lajh, 2010; Wieland et al., 2015); The ways that ideas and policies emanating from international organisations (EU, but also OECD) are constituted themselves by national contributions, lobbying and power relations between states and the international/transnational level. Research studies here focus on the spread of policy ideas, and the interactive top-down/bottom-up policy making model that also highlights the differential power relations between member states, and between states and the international organisations they respond to (see Fink-Hafner et al., 2010; Kleibrink, 2011; Lange and Alexiadou, 2010; Prøitz, 2015).…”