Books by Franziska Müller

Research paper thumbnail of Im Namen liberaler Normen? Gouvernementalität in den EU-AKP-Beziehungen (2015), Nomos, Baden-Baden
English abstract (German version below): EU-ACP relations and especially the relations to the So... more English abstract (German version below):
EU-ACP relations and especially the relations to the Southern African Development Community stand at the center of this book. The change of this postcolonial relationship is analyzed as a change of governance rationales and practices, which culminates in the advent of characteristic liberal and postliberal governmentalities. This implies replacing the protectionist EU-ACP regime by a mode of liberal governance shaped by equal partners and harmonizing, self-disciplining policies. An important aspect for this process is the manifestation of "normative power", which turns out to act as a highly contested political instrument within a postcolonial setting. The book informs the debate on "Normative Power Europe" from the perspective of governmentality studies and outlines a research agenda for Critical Governance Studies in the fields of International Relations respectively EU Studies.
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Die Studie untersucht den Wandel der EU-AKP-Kooperation und analysiert ihn als Wandel der Regierungsweisen, in dessen Folge sich charakteristische liberale und postliberale Gouvernementalitäten herausbilden. Dies meint den Übergang von einem nachkolonialen protektionistischen Regierungsmodell hin zu einer Governance-Variante, die von der Eigenverantwortlichkeit und Gleichheit der Akteure ausgeht und mit harmonisierenden und (selbst)disziplinierenden Politiken arbeitet. Ein wesentliches Moment für diesen Prozess ist die Ausübung "normativer Macht", die sich gerade in einem postkolonialen Setting als problematisch erweist und mit der Kontestation liberaler Normen verknüpft ist. Untersucht wird dies am Beispiel der Beziehungen zur Southern African Development Community. Die Studie akzentuiert dabei die Debatte um "Normative Power Europe" aus gouvernementalitätstheoretischer Sicht und entwickelt Perspektiven für Kritische Governanceforschung in den Internationalen Beziehungen und in der EU-Forschung.

Research paper thumbnail of Das politische System Südafrikas (2015)
Der Kern des vorliegenden Buches widmet sich der Frage, wie sich Südafrikas politisches System i... more Der Kern des vorliegenden Buches widmet sich der Frage, wie sich Südafrikas politisches
System in den letzten 20 Jahren seit der Transition ab Mitte der 1990er Jahre entfaltet hat. Dabei soll der Fokus zum einen auf die grundlegenden institutionellen und rechtlichen Strukturen gerichtet sein. Zum anderen ist zu hinterfragen, inwiefern der Föderalismus das Land in arme und reiche Teile aufteilt, was durch fehlende Ausgleichsmechanismen mittelfristig für Konflikte sorgt. Ein weiterer Themenblock setzt sich mit der Frage der politischen Beteiligungsmöglichkeiten der Bevölkerung auseinander. In einzelnen Abschnitten werden die zentralen Institutionen der politischen Repräsentation
und Artikulation untersucht, d.h. Parteien, Gewerkschaften, Interessenverbände, Nichtregierungsorganisationen und soziale Bewegungen, aber auch die Rolle der Print- und TV-Medien. Schließlich sollen die Hoffnungen und Ängste der unterschiedlichen Bevölkerungsgruppen einzelnen Politikbereichen gegenübergestellt werden. Dabei liegt der Schwerpunkt zum einen auf ökonomischen Fragen mit der Analyse der Wirtschafts-, der Steuer-, der Finanz- und der Landwirtschaftspolitik. Dann folgt ein Komplex, der sich mit der menschlichen Entwicklung auseinandersetzt und die Sozial-, Bildungs-, Gesundheits- und Gleichstellungspolitik unter die Lupe nimmt. Schließlich wird die Entwicklung der Außenpolitik und der regionalen Integration untersucht, die für die Dynamik der südafrikanischen Ökonomie von zentraler Bedeutung sind.

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges of European External Energy Governance with Emerging Powers. Meeting Tiger, Dragon, Lion and Jaguar

Challenges of European External Energy Governance with Emerging Powers. Meeting Tiger, Dragon, Lion and Jaguar

In a multipolar world with growing demand for energy, not least by Emerging Powers such as Brazil... more In a multipolar world with growing demand for energy, not least by Emerging Powers such as Brazil, India, China or South Africa (BICS), questions of EU external energy governance would at first hand appear to be a high-priority. Yet, reality tells a different story: the EU’s geographical focus remains on adjacent countries in the European neighbourhood and on issues related to energy security. Despite being Strategic Partners and engaging in energy dialogues, it seems that the EU is lacking strategic vision and is not perceived as a major actor in energy cooperation with the BICS. Thus, political momentum for energy cooperation and joint governance of scarce resources is vanishing.

Resulting from three years of international, interdisciplinary research cooperation among academics and practitioners in Europe and the BICS countries within a project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, this volume addresses one of the greatest global challenges. Specific focus lies on the bilateral energy dialogues and Strategic Partnerships between the EU and Emerging Powers regarding bilateral, inter- and transnational energy cooperation. Furthermore, the analysis provides policy recommendations in order to tap the full potential of energy cooperation between the EU and Brazil, India, China and South Africa.
Contents: Preface. Part I Introduction: EU-Emerging Powers Energy Governance: Introduction, Michèle Knodt, Nadine Piefer and Franziska Müller; Conceptualizing Emerging Powers and EU energy governance: towards a research agenda, Franziska Müller, Michèle Knodt and Nadine Piefer; EU and Emerging Powers in energy governance: exploring the empirical puzzle, Nadine Piefer, Michèle Knodt and Franziska Müller. Part II European Energy Governance: Explaining European Union energy governance with Emerging Powers, Michèle Knodt, Franziska Müller and Nadine Piefer; Bilateral EU-Member States’ energy cooperation with Emerging Powers: Denmark’s energy cooperation with Emerging Powers, Bruno Oliveira Martins, Yonatan Schvartzman and Knud-Erik Jørgensen; German energy cooperation with Emerging Powers - internationalizing the Energiewende?, Kirsten Westphal; British energy cooperation with Emerging Powers, Dan Kim; Spain’s energy cooperation with Emerging Powers - a large potential for the BICS in Spain’s energy policy, Susanne Gratius. Part III EU External Energy Relations with China, India, Brazil, South Africa: China-EU energy governance: what lessons to be drawn?, ZHA Daojiong and LAI Suet Yi; India-EU energy relations: towards closer cooperation?, Madhura Joshi and Swati Ganeshan; Brazil-EU energy governance: fuelling the dialogue through alternative energy sources, Aline Ribas and Roberto Schaeffer; South Africa-EU energy governance: tales of path dependency, regional power and decarbonization, Agathe Maupin. Part IV Communicative Challenges of EU-Emerging Powers Energy Relations: More than only words: linking international high level energy dialogues with policy implementation, Ulrich Müller and Nadine Piefer; Energy poverty and policy coherence in India: norms as means in a strategic two-level discourse, Mark Daniel Jaeger and Katharina Michaelowa. Part V Non-State Actors within EU-Emerging Powers Energy Relations: The governance of international technology transfer: lessons from the Indian wind industry, Daisuke Hayashi; Private actors in transnational energy governance, Jens Steffek and Viviane Romeiro. Part VI Multilateral and Regional Embeddedness of the EU and Emerging Powers in Energy Governance: International energy governance revisited: fragmented landscapes, diverging dilemmas and emerging (dis)orders, Kirsten Westphal; IRENA’s renewable energy governance: institutional change, cooperation opportunities and governance innovations, Franziska Müller. Part VII Concluding Remarks and Policy Recommendations: Understanding EU-Emerging Powers energy governance - from competition towards cooperation?, Michèle Knodt, Franziska Müller and Nadine Piefer; Policy recommendations for enhanced EU-Emerging Powers energy cooperation, Nadine Piefer, Michèle Knodt and Franziska Müller. Annex; Index.
About the Editor: Michèle Knodt is Jean Monnet Professor for European Integration and Comparative Politics at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. She works on the new role of Emerging Powers in international politics with a special focus on energy and triangular cooperation. Furthermore, her research interests include EU external democracy promotion in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus as well as Civil Society Engagement in the European Multilevel System.
Nadine Piefer is a Researcher at the Department of Political Science at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, and a freelance Consultant. Her research and consultancy work focuses on EU foreign and energy relations with the BICS, new development partners and triangular cooperation. She has research and practical experience in South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, India, China and Germany.
Franziska Müller is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Kassel, Germany. Her PhD analyzed governmentality and normative power within EU-ACP relations. Her research interests include EU relations with Emerging Powers, poststructuralist and postcolonial IR theory, international aid governance, and qualitative social research. Her current work focuses on IRENA's role for a global energy transition, thereby exploring transformations of North-South relations at the energy/development nexus.
Reviews: ‘An authoritative and lucid description of priority issues underlying European energy governance with emerging powers. This energy dialogue among a distinguished group of international experts builds on sound technical analysis and in-depth empirical knowledge. It highlights the mutual benefits of energy partnerships, multilateral policymaking and strategic vision in an increasingly resource-scarce and multipolar world. A must read for decision-makers, researchers and the concerned public.’
Mohan Munasinghe, Chairman, Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND), Sri Lanka

‘This book systematically applies a sophisticated research design combining in-depth empirical work with rigorous methodology and theoretical explanations in all chapters. The contributors examine one of the major global challenges of the 21st century: energy relations between Europe and large emerging powers, such as Brazil, India, China and South Africa. The edited volume is thematically coherent and presents an impressive integrated connected analysis.’
Martin Holland, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

Research paper thumbnail of  Entwicklungstheorien: weltgesellschaftliche Transformationen, entwicklungspolitische Herausforderungen, theoretische Innovationen. Sonderheft der Politischen Vierteljahresschrift

Entwicklungstheorien: weltgesellschaftliche Transformationen, entwicklungspolitische Herausforderungen, theoretische Innovationen. Sonderheft der Politischen Vierteljahresschrift

In den letzten drei Jahrzehnten haben weitreichende globale Transformationsprozesse den Gegensta... more In den letzten drei Jahrzehnten haben weitreichende globale Transformationsprozesse den Gegenstandsbereich der Entwicklungsforschung grundlegend verändert und Entwicklungspolitik und -theorie vor neue Herausforderungen gestellt. Das PVS-Sonderheft 2013 nimmt eine Aufarbeitung der neueren Diskussionen und des aktuellen Forschungsstandes vor.

In einem ersten Teil wird zunächst auf die zentralen Veränderungen des Gegenstandsbereichs angesichts der tief greifenden weltgesellschaftlichen Transformationsprozesse eingegangen. Im zweiten Abschnitt wird dargestellt, wie diese neuen Herausforderungen in der entwicklungspolitischen Debatte aufgegriffen und theoretisch verarbeitet wurden. Daran anschließend umreißt der Band wichtige Referenzpunkte der aktuellen entwicklungspolitischen Debatte. Im dritten, zentralen Abschnitt wird dargestellt, wie sich das Selbstverständnis der Entwicklungsforschung durch neuere theoretische Ansätze verändert hat bzw. sogar in Frage gestellt wurde.

Mit Beiträgen von: Guido Ashoff, Marcel Baumann, Ulrich Brand, Tobias ten Brink, Hans-Jürgen Burchardt, Claudia Derichs, Kristina Dietz, Dana de la Fontaine, Gerhard Hauck, Stephan Klingebiel, Reinhart Kößler, Rahel Kunz, Sabine Kurtenbach, Philipp Lepenies, Elisio Macamo, Christian May, Chris Methmann, Franziska Müller, Andreas Nölke, Angela Oels, Helen Schwenken, Elena Sondermann, Elisabeth Tuider, Cornelia Ulbert, Ingrid Wehr, Aram Ziai, Gabriele Zdunnek und Thomas Zitelmann.

Das Werk ist Teil der Reihe Politische Vierteljahresschrift (PVS) - Sonderhefte.

Articles by Franziska Müller

Chapter from: Berit Bliesemann (Ed.) (2016): Myth and Narrative in International Politics - Inter... more Chapter from: Berit Bliesemann (Ed.) (2016): Myth and Narrative in International Politics - Interpretive Approaches to the Study of IR, PalgraveMacMillan, p. 249-266

Research paper thumbnail of How to study myths: methodological demands and discoveries, in: Berit Bliesemann de Guevara (Ed.) (2016): Myth and Narrative in International Politics, PalgraveMacMillan
Chapter from: Berit Bliesemann (Ed.) (2016): Myth and Narrative in International Politics. Interp... more Chapter from: Berit Bliesemann (Ed.) (2016): Myth and Narrative in International Politics. Interpretive Approaches to the Study of IR, PalgraveMacMillan, p. 107-126

Where do we discover myths in IR? How can we identify, re-iterate, translate, explain or interpret them? Which methodological presuppositions do studies on myths pose? When researching IR myths, our discipline has to face a number of methodological problems. They occur partly due to the challenges “myths” pose as an analytical, yet subtle and diffuse concept, and partly due to some long-standing methodological neglects within the discipline itself, which now rematerialize in aggravated form.
As a first approximation, this chapter aims to address epistemological challenges that studies on myths should take into account. In closer detail this refers to post-positivist and poststructuralist debates that have influenced IR during the previous decades, and especially during the heydays of the “third debate” (Lapid 1989). Post-positivist criticism of IR’s theoretical mainstream and its assumptions has certainly resulted in a more reflexive attitude towards “the researcher”, “objects of research”, “epistemological objectives” as well as classical IR terms and concepts such as “the state”, “power”, “sovereignty” or “structure vs. agency” (cf. Cox 1981, Linklater, Shapiro, Campbell 1998, Scherrer 2001 for a review article). Unfortunately though these debates have only in few cases resulted in significant methodological repercussions. However, when studying myths in IR, the postulates of the postpositivist/poststructuralist need to be reconsidered for this specific subject with regards to
- myths as an object of empirical research: How (and why) do we trace myths?
- the roles of the researchers as “mythographers”: Do we aim to discover, translate, interpret or unveil myths? Which relationships are created between the researcher and his_her research objects?
- myths as an analytical concept within IR: What does a (critical) study of myths tell about the status of our own discipline? How do our findings correspond to the development of IR theory (or even its ends: cf.  Wight/Hansen/Dunne EJIR 2013)?
Based on such epistemological / (meta)theoretical reflections, a number of qualitative approaches that seem adequate and promising for empirical studies on myths will be briefly presented and compared according to their methodological potentials (and maybe caveats). The purpose of this part lies in offering an overview of qualitative methods, which allow to shed light on myths, yet from considerably different angles.

Research paper thumbnail of 'Save the planet, plant a tree!': REDD+ and global/local forest governance in the Anthropocene - Resilience 9.10.2016
The age of the Anthropocene has developed unique forms and practices of earth system governance, ... more The age of the Anthropocene has developed unique forms and practices of earth system governance, i.e. ways of governing nature and populations on a global/local scale claiming to offer holistic, borderless forms of global/local cooperation that bridge nature/culture/society divides and seek to create a universalised, 'planetary' actorness. With regard to climate change adaptation, this actorness is increasingly stretched out to the postcolonial sphere, including small-scale farmer communities, forest-dwellers and indigenous communities, who are all addressed as responsible subjects through the IPCC's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) measures. As a powerful instrument of global climate governance, REDD+ programmes create highly complex regimes, thereby totalising the principle of liberal 'stakeholder governance'. This article addresses REDD+ as a specific case of 'Anthropocene geopolitics' that have discovered 'the local' as a site of powerful ecological intervention, taking place in a postcolonial setting. Based on an analysis of inter/ transnational REDD+ funds, their activities, outcomes and forms of governing nature and populations, the aim is to identify distinct political technologies that orchestrate the REDD+ regime and discuss how they reshape nature-society relations in the Anthropocene.

Since the new millennium, the growing importance of so called “new donors” such as China, India, ... more Since the new millennium, the growing importance of so called “new donors” such as China, India, Brazil or South Africa has posed an increasing challenge to the international donor community: By appearing to offer a substantially different practice of ‘giving’ these donors create new financial and political scope and question established forms and norms of cooperation. This article takes the (discursive) dichotomy between “new” and established donors as a starting point and investigates forms of resource allocation, role dynamics, and power relations of donors by drawing back on sociological, cultural anthropological, and poststructuralist strands of theory.

Research paper thumbnail of Das Phänomen „Neue Geber“: Eine gabentheoretische Reflexion zu den aktuellen Dynamiken in der internationalen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit

Das Phänomen „Neue Geber“: Eine gabentheoretische Reflexion zu den aktuellen Dynamiken in der internationalen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit

Entwicklungstheorien: weltgesellschaftliche Transformationen, entwicklungspolitische Herausforderungen, theoretische Innovationen, Sonderheft der Politischen Vierteljahresschrift, hg. von Cord jakobeit, Aram Ziai, Franziska Müller, Ingrid Wehr, Elena Sondermann; Nomos, Wiesbaden.

"Emerging donors": Current dynamics in international development cooperation from the perspecti... more "Emerging donors": Current dynamics in international development cooperation from the
perspective of gift theory."

Since the new millennium, the growing importance of so called “new donors” such as China, India,
Brazil or South Africa has posed an increasing  challenge to the international donor community: By
appearing to offer a substantially different practice of ‘giving’ these donors create new financial and
political scope and question established forms and norms of cooperation. This article takes the
(discursive) dichotomy between “new” and established donors as a starting point and investigates
forms of resource allocation, role dynamics and power relations of donors by drawing back on
sociological, cultural anthropological and poststructuralist theoretical strands. This allows us to shed
light on the distinctive quality of power relations as well as on the arrangements of exchange and
redistribution that the practice of development cooperation establishes between a donor and a
recipient. We first present an  introduction into gift theory with specific regards to the theoretical
contributions it can provide for development theory. We then focus on three empirical cases – Brazil,
India and South Africa – and re-interpret their roles and development cooperation activities from the
perspective of gift theory. We show that “new donors” by no means present a united front but
rather form a continuum encompassing very different allocation practices and discursive positions of
aid giving. The once seemingly clear categorization and distinction of “new” versus “traditional”
donors is blurring. Nonetheless  the presence of “new donors”  has  a profound impact on
international development policies and politics as the last part of our article discusses: Whilst
searching for ways of cooperating with and integrating „new donors“, roles and power relationships
throughout different arenas of international development governance change and norms and modes
of governance are called into question

Research paper thumbnail of Eurozentrismus in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit
Spätestens seit der postkolonialen und Post-Development-Kritik ist die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit... more Spätestens seit der postkolonialen und Post-Development-Kritik ist die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (EZ) mit dem Vorwurf des Eurozentrismus konfrontiert worden. Doch was genau ist darunter zu verstehen? Ist EZ per se eurozentrisch? Wie könnte eine nicht eurozentrische Entwicklungspolitik aussehen? Lösen "neue" Geber derlei Problematiken – oder wiederholen sich kontroverse Geberpraktiken etwa in Form einer "sinozentrischen" EZ? Diese Fragen sollen im vorliegenden Artikel erörtert werden. Zunächst betrachten wir das Phänomen des Eurozentrismus und seine Verknüpfung mit den Grundannahmen der EZ. Anschließend widmen wir uns der Frage, inwiefern die Herausbildung einer zusehends polyzentrischen Weltordnung und die zunehmende Relevanz der neuen Geber Auswirkungen auf das Rollenverhalten der beteiligten Akteure und das Phänomen des Eurozentrismus haben. Im letzten Abschnitt diskutieren wir Alternativen in Form eines anderen, nicht eurozentrischen EZ-Bezugsrahmens und entsprechender politischer Arenen.

Research paper thumbnail of  "Storming, Norming, Performing – Implications of the Financial Crisis in Southern Africa"

"Storming, Norming, Performing – Implications of the Financial Crisis in Southern Africa"

Goettingen Journal of International Law 2 (2010) 1, 167-190 doi: 10.3249/1868-1581-2-1-mueller

Southern Africa seems to be a remote region. Far away from stock market crashes, bank runs and to... more Southern Africa seems to be a remote region. Far away from stock market crashes, bank runs and toxic assets, one might assume at first sight that the financial crisis would hit the developing and least developed countries less hard. Yet, reality tells a more ambivalent story, as Southern African states have been affected in different ways and have found specific ways of dealing with the consequences of the financial crisis. This article explores implications of the financial crisis on the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a supranational community in Southern Africa, which has undergone  liberalization  and restructuring processes during the last decade. Factors such as
  trade policy norms (liberal trade policies versus protectionist trade policies),
  economic diversification and integration (world market versus  regional markets, namely South-South cooperation),
  political and regulative capacity (good governance versus weak governance)
shape the vulnerability, capability and  performance of SADC states and  allow for certain policy strategies  –  be it  State Keynesianism, South-South  cooperation, incrementalism or regional integration. The cases of South Africa, Angola and Botswana serve as examples for different forms of managing, regulating and interpreting the financial crisis and its consequences.

Papers by Franziska Müller

Canadian Journal of Development Studies / Revue canadienne d'études du développement, 2021

SDG-backed green finance efforts have become popular vehicles for private investors to participat... more SDG-backed green finance efforts have become popular vehicles for private investors to participate in development collaborations. We critically examine two transnational renewable energy projects in Zambia, drawing on the financialization literature and, particularly, the concept of de-risking. We find that new publicprivate partnership coalitions impose a global market and financial logic on the Zambian energy sector and its customers. While this development may attract transnational investment into renewables, we argue that it also sidelines smaller Zambian businesses and financializes the daily life of Zambian citizens. This paper, thus, provides critical scholarly insights into the greening of contemporary development practices. RÉSUMÉ

Research paper thumbnail of Geschichtsvermittlung im Kinderzimmer. Benjamin Blümchen postkolonial [Teaching history in the nursery. A postcolonial critique of the audio drama Benjamin Blümchen]
Questions of historical awareness and teaching history are also broached in children’s rooms. Aud... more Questions of historical awareness and teaching history are also broached in children’s rooms. Audio dramas may contribute to the historical-political socialisation of children by proposing certain worldviews and normative positions. Benjamin Blümchen is one of the most successful German audio dramas. This paper asks whether its stories and the representation of ‘foreign’ places are marked by racialisation and exotisisation and how it re- or disremembers the colonial past. Media reception is understood with Stuart Hall and John Fiske as a reflective process in which users of media – dependent on their socialisation – are able to appropriate and interpret the proposed content. The paper argues that the audio drama conveys dominant racist narratives and at times even legitimises colonial conquest ex post. A subversive interpretation, which connects to children’s transcultural experiences, is possible, but appears less probable. All in all, it becomes evident that audio dramas are a useful tool for conveying historical-political issues – whether by critiquing its contents or by using the format to imagining alternative visions of society.

Zur Architektur des Welthandels.

Nachhaltige Agrarpolitik als kontroverses Diskursfeld: Naturkonzepte und gesellschaftliche Ordnungsvorstellungen in den agrarpolitischen Paradigmen

Nachhaltige Agrarpolitik als reflexive Agrarpolitik. Plädoyer für einen neuen Diskurs zwischen Politik und Wissenschaft