Review article
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.23.1.07
The Political Science Professional Project in Slovenia: From Communist Monism, Democratisation and Europeanisation to the Financial Crisis
Danica Fink-Hafner
orcid.org/0000-0002-4455-9223
; Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana
Tomaž Deželan
; Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana
Abstract
In this article, we assess the effects of democratic transition, the
introduction of a capitalist economy, the creation of a newly
independent state and international economic and political
integrations on the employment potential of political science
graduates. While we particularly focus on Slovenia, we will also
consider the broader challenges faced by many professions
across Europe. The empirical study is based on a series of tracer
surveys carried out since 1969, as well as an analysis of political
science programme curricula, enrolment and graduation statistics
and official data on employability. The statistical and survey data
is supplemented by stakeholders' views. Our main finding is that,
paradoxically, under socialism, the pressures on political science
supported internal professional integration so that the profession
was better able to adapt to the initial democratisation than to
market-induced domestic changes and the challenges of global
competitiveness (including the Bologna HE reform). The recent
international financial and economic crisis has only reinforced
these challenges.
Keywords
political science; democratisation; Europeanisation; financial crisis; Slovenia
Hrčak ID:
121882
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2014.
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