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Pfadabhängigkeit

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Handbuch Policy-Forschung

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Zusammenfassung

Der Beitrag erläutert das Konzept der Pfadabhängigkeit, das sich als Erklärungsansatz in mehreren wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen etabliert hat, so auch in der Policy-Forschung. Die Vielfalt der begrifflichen Vorstellungen wird dargelegt, es werden neuere Präzisierungsversuche vorgestellt und die Anwendung des Konzepts in der Policy-Forschung anhand von zwei Politikfeldern veranschaulicht.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Das Konzept der Pfadabhängigkeit konnte sich dabei z. B. in der Volks- und Betriebswirtschaft, Politikwissenschaft, Soziologie, Geschichtswissenschaft, Geografie, Rechtswissenschaft und vielen weiteren Forschungsgebieten etablieren (vgl. Bebchuk und Roe 1999; Beyer 2005; Boas 2007; Guinnane et al. 2003; Martin und Sunley 2006; Pierson 2000a; Sydow et al. 2009; Scott 2001). Mit größerer Abstraktion wird der Begriff der Pfadabhängigkeit auch in naturwissenschaftlichen Diskussionen gebraucht (z. B. Durand und Mendel 1979; Simon und Bernazzini 2006).

  2. 2.

    Zur Policy-Feedback Debatte vgl. Pierson 1993; Mettler und Sorelle 2018; Béland und Schlager 2019. Es handelt sich hierbei um einen umfangreichen und weiterhin sehr dynamischen Forschungsstrang der Policy-Forschung. Die Querbezüge zur Pfadabhängigkeitsdiskussion sind je nach Analysefokus der Debattenbeiträge variierend stark ausgeprägt.

  3. 3.

    Für die gegenteilige Sicht, wonach die Vielzahl an Deutungen die Fortentwicklung des Ansatzes erschwert vgl. Rixen und Viola (2015). Sie schlagen stattdessen einen Fokus auf die von ihnen als Kerneigenschaften benannten Aspekte „increasing returns“ und „endogeneity“ vor. Für die in dem Beitrag vertretene normative Vorstellung, dass „concept streching“ und „concept proliferation“ die Theorieentwicklung der Institutionenforschung behindern würden, gibt es allerdings wenig empirische Evidenz.

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  1. Fachbereich Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland

    Jürgen Beyer

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    Reimut Zohlnhöfer

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Beyer, J. (2023). Pfadabhängigkeit. In: Wenzelburger, G., Zohlnhöfer, R. (eds) Handbuch Policy-Forschung. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-34560-0_5

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