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ESRC/NCRM Training Seminar Cross-National Research Challenge, Cooperation and Compromise

This seminar explores the challenges of cross-national research, including methodological complexity and the impact of methods on findings. It also discusses the rationales for selecting countries and combining methods. The seminar examines EU policy reviews and the importance of research-policy linkages. It highlights the need for consultation and thematic priority in research design and discusses the theory and practice of country selection. The seminar aims to inform policy, assess policy responses, and analyze policy effects in different contexts.

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ESRC/NCRM Training Seminar Cross-National Research Challenge, Cooperation and Compromise

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  1. ESRC/NCRM Training SeminarCross-National ResearchChallenge, Cooperation and Compromise Scientific and pragmatic rationales for choice of countries, cases and contexts EU Projects on Family and Welfare Linda Hantrais

  2. Challenge, cooperation, compromise Challenges of cross-national comparisons: • Methodological complexity • Crossing national, cultural and linguistic boundaries • Pragmatism and compromise • Cost in time, effort and money • Impact of methods and means on findings Cross-national, cultural or societal? • Understanding of concepts and contexts • Rationales for choice of countries • Combining methods

  3. EU policy reviews DG Research policy reviews (FP4, 5): • education, training, employment, quality of work, social inclusion, inequality, social protection, citizenship and identity, migration, regional policy, governance, enlargement, sustainability, F&W • linkages between research and policy • value for money • complementarity, critical mass, synergy policy solutions • observation of research process, policy interface

  4. Setting and achieving objectives How not to design a research programme • No consultation at the research design stage • Thematic coverage not a priority • Country coverage not determined by themes • Policy relevance not built into the research design • Post hoc justification for country mix, methods and policy relevance

  5. From the theory of country selection… Number  breadth vs depth: • Breadth  generalisation, limited variables, • Description, juxtaposition • Problems of comparability due to data inconsistencies • Depth  fine-grain analysis • subnational / regional variation

  6. From the theory of country selection… Mix  J.S. Mills’ method of • agreement (most similar for dependent variable) • difference (most different) • concomitant variation (association between variables) • Not a recipe for establishing causality • Problem of isolating independent variables • Different results from different combinations of cases

  7. Nation as the unit of analysis International organisations: • EU as policy-making framework for nations • Eurostat as statistical agency • Defined but shifting territorial boundaries • Recognised legal and administrative systems • Not necessarily common cultural, linguistic and ethnic identity • Changing membership of international bodies • Multilevel systems of governance • Common reference point + diversity • Material for cross-national analysis

  8. …the practice of country selection Political rationale: • geographical coverage • North, south, east + France, Germany, UK ? Representativeness and wider applicability Scientific rationale: • exploring diversity ? Capturing and analysing diversity

  9. …the practice of country selection Pragmatic rationale: • partners with cultural/linguistic affinity ? Dealing with bias F&W rationales: • Common research methods • Self-selection • Common mission • Cultural proximity

  10. IPROSEC country rationale 1. EEC founder member states > France, Germany, Italy (continental welfare systems) 2. EC second wave member states > Ireland, UK (universal, residual welfare systems) 3. EC third wave member states > Greece, Spain (southern European welfare systems) 4. EU fourth wave member states > Sweden (Nordic, social democratic welfare systems) 5. EU fifth wave member states > Estonia, Hungary, Poland (post-communist welfare systems)

  11. IPROSEC research design Aims and objectives: • Compare and contrast the policy process • Inform policy • Assess policy responses and outcomes Methods: • Secondary data analysis • Policy context analysis • In-depth interviews with policy actors and family members • Intraregional heterogeneity

  12. Implications of country mix Policy reviews: • Validation through triangulation • Overlap/duplication • Patchy country coverage • Limited reliability and applicability • Concordant/discordant outcomes • Need to revisit assumptions • Awareness of diversity and complexity • Analysis of policy effects • Understanding what works and why in different policy contexts

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