What follows is in no way an “official” (nor even necessarily entirely accurate) account of the two day event for PhD students at the Science and Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex. First off, thanks and congratulations to the 1st year cohort of students who organised it. The Monday started with brief opening... Continue Reading →
Hookworm and the class struggle…
Wow. It's almost as if there is a long-running class war where the rich try to demoralise and demean the poor, kick them in the teeth and then blame them for not having a nice smile. I know, I know, crazy conspiracy theory... "Bringing a condition under human control often poses a challenge to old... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – discursive institutionalism yet again
Four papers here, the fourth of which doesn’t quite ‘fit’, but never mind… The TL;DR is that Discursive Institutionalism is a pretty powerful (too powerful?) way of looking at policy change/lack of change. Schmidt, V. 2010. Taking ideas and discourse seriously: explaining change through discursive institutionalism as the fourth ‘new institutionalism’. European Political Science Review,... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – Islands in the Stream #Kingdon #MultipleStreams
So, these two probably could have been better clumped with the Brunner article (see last post) because they are trying to use/modify the famous “Multiple Streams Framework” of John Kingdon. Winkel, G. and Leipold, S. 2016. Demolishing Dikes: Multiple Streams and Policy Discourse Analysis. Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 44, (1), pp.108-129. Mukherjee, I. and Howlett,... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – fantasy technologies, fantasy policies and polar bears #wearetoast
So, over the last two days, even with The Wife about, I have somehow contrived to read nine journal articles about policy theory, policy implementation etc. I really do need to get out more. Rather than blog them in the order I read them, imma go for some sort of logical clumping (the borders are,... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – “Think” tanks, denialists, renewables and (neo)institutional theory
Four articles this time (one a re-read) Zimmerman, E. 2016. Discursive Institutionalism and Institutional Change. In Zimmerman, E. 2016. Think Tanks and Non-Traditional Security. London: Palgrave Macmillan. McKewon, E. 2012. Talking Points Ammo: The use of neoliberal think tank fantasy themes to delegitimise scientific knowledge of climate change in Australian newspapers. Journalism Studies, Vol. 13... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – Radical Institutional Change? Bin juice!!
The sixth lap is usually fairly unproductive, from a reading point of view, but probably where the calorie burn comes from. Somehow I only managed to finish one article – (and tbf, most of another) Lorenzoni, I. and Benson, D. 2014. Radical institutional change in environmental governance: Explaining the origins of the UK Climate... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – Transformers!, transitions, neo-institutional theory and SHIT v CHIC
So, one on the bed, one and a half while around the park (it turns out theory is far slower to read than fact-based stuff, who knew) and polishing off that second half of the third paper at my desk as the sun shines outside. I really do need to get out more. Gillard, R.... Continue Reading →
#Awalkinthepark – climate denialism, “sticky v path contingent” historical discursive institutionalism and comparative institutionalisms
So, read Weart in bed and Bell/Schmidt as I walked around the park with the 50lb backpack Weart, S. 2011. Global warming: How skepticism became denial. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol.67(1), pp.41-50. Bell, S. 2012. Where are the Institutions? The Limits of Vivien Schmidt’s Constructivism. British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 42, pp.714-719. Schmidt,... Continue Reading →
Psycho-analysing the species – on the 20th Century & pre-tits-up 21st…
Hmmm, I am dubious about the value of trying to psycho-analyze societies. And when I say "we" and "the species" I am v. conscious of mostly meaning white middle-class male Westerners. But still, maybe this will provoke someone into sending me some very good reading suggestions. ATT (After the Thesis) I am going to read... Continue Reading →
