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International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship

Hang Yuan (UGent)
(2015)
Author
Promoter
(UGent)
Organization
Abstract
The studies of political science and social policy have a strong tradition of analyzing the role of developed countries and the organizations like the European Union (EU) in shaping international diffusion of social policy. However, in-depth research focusing on the response of developing and emerging countries, in particular China, is lacking. Therefore, this dissertation presents an original analysis of the involvement of EU and China in bilateral and international social policy diffusion/transfer. It highlights the relational nature of the normative power Europe (NPE) and the impact of the recipient country China on the NPE. The dissertation conceptualizes the response of recipient countries to international diffusion and develops a typological framework of it. The dissertation refines the existing theoretical framework of policy learning by highlighting the complexity of learning through trial-and-error processes. It also illustrates the usefulness of careful case study design and content analysis in researching bilateral relations and refining the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of international diffusion. The analysis of the social dimension of the EU-China relations indicates that the EU’s mixed approaches combine pragmatic and normative concerns. The typological framework of the variability of response (VOR) introduced and developed in this dissertation is more capable of mapping China’s mixed response than the existing linear conceptual frameworks. China’s learning from European expertise in social security since late 1990s results from its reflections on the undesirable social consequences of neoliberal-oriented reforms since 1970s and has been reinforced by its successful cooperation with the EU in the past decade. The labour provisions travelling though free trade agreements from the EU has been restrained by some recipient countries including China. The findings unveil the complexity of the social dimension of the EU-China relationship due to each party’s mixed approaches. The findings indicate that the others’ positive perceptions of the EU are crucial for the success of the NPE. The dissertation accentuates complex causality in international diffusion including policy learning, which requires better understanding by taking different causal factors into consideration and refining existing theoretical frameworks including typological theories.
Keywords
response, social dimension, the EU-China relations, international diffusion

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Citation

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MLA
Yuan, Hang. International Diffusion and Response : The Social Dimension of the EU-China Relationship. Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, 2015.
APA
Yuan, H. (2015). International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship. Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent, Belgium.
Chicago author-date
Yuan, Hang. 2015. “International Diffusion and Response : The Social Dimension of the EU-China Relationship.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Yuan, Hang. 2015. “International Diffusion and Response : The Social Dimension of the EU-China Relationship.” Ghent, Belgium: Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences.
Vancouver
1.
Yuan H. International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship. [Ghent, Belgium]: Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences; 2015.
IEEE
[1]
H. Yuan, “International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship,” Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent, Belgium, 2015.
@phdthesis{7005708,
  abstract     = {{The studies of political science and social policy have a strong tradition of analyzing the role of developed countries and the organizations like the European Union (EU)  in shaping international diffusion of social policy. However, in-depth research focusing on the response of developing and emerging countries, in particular China, is lacking. Therefore, this dissertation presents an original analysis of the involvement of EU and China in bilateral and international social policy diffusion/transfer. It highlights the relational nature of the normative power Europe (NPE) and the impact of the recipient country China on the NPE. The dissertation conceptualizes the response of recipient countries to international diffusion and develops a typological framework of it. The dissertation refines the  existing theoretical framework of policy learning by highlighting the complexity of learning through trial-and-error processes. It also illustrates the usefulness of careful case study design and content analysis in researching bilateral relations and refining the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of international diffusion.
The analysis of the social dimension of the EU-China relations indicates that the EU’s mixed approaches combine pragmatic and normative concerns. The typological framework of the variability of response (VOR) introduced and developed in this dissertation is more capable of mapping China’s mixed response than the existing linear conceptual frameworks. China’s learning from European expertise in social security since late 1990s results from its reflections on the undesirable social consequences of neoliberal-oriented reforms since 1970s and has been reinforced by its successful cooperation with the EU in the past decade. The labour provisions travelling though free trade agreements from the EU has been restrained by some recipient countries including China. The findings unveil the complexity of the social dimension of the EU-China relationship due to each party’s mixed approaches. The findings indicate that the others’ positive perceptions of the EU are crucial for the success of the NPE. The dissertation accentuates complex causality in international diffusion including policy learning, which requires better understanding by taking different causal factors into consideration and refining existing theoretical frameworks including typological theories.}},
  author       = {{Yuan, Hang}},
  keywords     = {{response,social dimension,the EU-China relations,international diffusion}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{192}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{International diffusion and response : the social dimension of the EU-China relationship}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}