Norms Between Global Networks and Local Policies

Abstract

AbstractThe academic literature on international norms and Local Content (LC) policies offers key insights into the optimal conditions for the domestic implementation of international norms. Although some IR scholars suggest that there is automatic compliance with a mature norm and others point to value conflicts to explain an inability to reach normative compliance on the ground, both explanations fail to consider the impact of transnational networks on norm implementation. While the role of Transnational Advocacy Networks in norm diffusion on the international stage is widely accepted, transnational networks are assumed to retreat after the adoption of a norm by a national government. In contrast, we show how transnational networks contribute to successful norm implementation by sharing their know-how and skills and introduce the novel concept of Transnational Experience and Expertise Networks (TEENs). LC policies are defined in the context of the existing scholarly literature and are shown to be relevant to many different sectors, including higher education. LC policies, through their influence on TEENs and depending on how they are formulated, can hinder or facilitate norm implementation.KeywordsInternational normsConstructivismPolicy networksValue conflictTransnational Expertise and Experience NetworksLocalizationCommunities of practiceLocal Content policyTransnational ExpertiseExperience Networks