Exploring trading zones of educational knowledge in India : A network theory approach

Titelangaben

Vollmer, Theresa:
Exploring trading zones of educational knowledge in India : A network theory approach.
2017
Veranstaltung: 7. Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences , 16.07.-27.07.2017 , Berlin, Deutschland.
(Veranstaltungsbeitrag: Sonstige Veranstaltungsart, Vortrag )

Angaben zu Projekten

Abstract

The project explores global relationships of actors and semantics in the education sector and thereof resulting transformation processes that will be analyzed at the local level. Based on the example of India the project traces, how globally circulating concept offers – precisely the ideology of testing of the OECD - is taken up and processed. This example is suitable, because the global concept offer has been rejected even though therewith correlated transformation processes in the Indian education system can be observed. Scope of the study is the entire process of this participation, rejection and transformation process. The relation of the Indian education policy towards PISA/OECD will be described and the decision of rejection will be analyzed. Particularly, the study aims to identify relevant actors and their arguments. It explores, how meaning emerges and knowledge is transmitted or ‘traded’ through actors sharing stories in a network (“trading zones of knowle! dge”). A network shall be visualized including experts on education or other important actors, publications, papers, laws etc. to catch the dynamic of this process. Goal of this project is to find answers to the following questions: What happened? What kind of processes have led to the rejection and how can one describe this process? What have been the actors, and what have been their arguments? The approach followed here combines network theory with qualitative social research. Answers to these questions shall be find out by collecting and analyzing diverse types of data - document analysis, literature research and interviews with experts. Documents are going to be analyzed with the aid of document analysis and interviews according to the method of qualitative content analysis (see Mayring 2010). Such a procedure of a network analysis with the aim of a network reconstruction taking recourse to network theory is largely ‘unknown territory’. Therefore, the project examines the topic in an exemplary and explorative way. The project is conducted from a European point of view. It is situated in a broadly defined comparative education (see Adick 2008, Amaral/Amos 2015) and is therefore interdisciplinary, international and intercultural. The conception of "globally travelling ideas“ (Czarniawska/Sevόn 2005) is taken up and correlated to the conception of „trading zones of knowledge“ (Galison 1997; Raina 2016). The topic is neither examined with a discourse oriented approach (see Czarniawka/Sevόn 2005) nor with neo institutionalism (see Krücken 2005) but rather network theoretically. The focus is set on the thematization of the term “network” and on strengthening the network paradigm as theoretical foundation. Therefore, a relational perspective (see Häußling 2010) is considered and the approach of network theory according to Harrison White is taken as a basis (see White 1992, 2008; Godart/White 2010). This is worthwhile, because with White’s approach educational and social proc! esses can be exami ned in a culture-theoretical and culture sensitive manner (see Clemens 2015). A key methodological challenge in my work is combining network theory with the concept of “trading zones of knowledge” and with paradigms of qualitative social research. This question shall be addressed in my presentation.