The tradition of public problems' studies has long been prisoner of a « nationalist » bias. The huge majority of case studies were focusing on the study of problem X in country Y. This approach produced a deep understanding of many puzzles of social problems' construction at the local/national level. (Who are the claimsmakers ? What are the most efficient framings and justifications in the struggle for access to agendas ? How to push problems into the public sphere ? How to transform claims into policies?).
Conversely this tradition was lacking of a comparative dimension. This situation has changed since twenty years. Part of this change came from the scientific field itself, looking for new questions to escape to the slumber of a « normal science ». But the change was firstly triggered by the internationalisaation of public problems and their stakeholders.
The aim of this contribution is double. It will produce a review ot the new research trends in the international/comparative approach of public problems. It will identify from this starting point some major tracks for a research agenda which may include the following questions :
Who are the actors of this transnationalsaition of public problems ? And what is the nature of their influence or power (Acting as watchdogs ? Bridging mobilisation between countries ? Institutionalizing spaces and « grammars » of problem discusion ?
If problems become « global », where are the regulating authorities ? Should research focus on supra-national organisations (WTO, E.U...) ? On private supranational institutions (Foundations in the case of rainforest timber) ? What power remains for national authorities ?
How to make sense sociologically of the influence of national « cultures » - well visible on stakes like overweight or the presence of GMO in foods- ?
