Hajer, M. 2003. Policy without polity? Policy analysis and the institutional void. Policy Sciences, , Vol.36(2), pp.175-195. Abstract. How should policy analysis respond to the changing context of policy making? This article examines three aspects of policy analysis in this changing context: polity, knowledge and intervention. It argues that policy making now often takes place in an ‘institutional void’ where there are no... Continue Reading →
The costs of collusion with activist bullshit and hype cycles
When a Shiny New Technology is being hyped, it's in order to pump the stock up, or get venture capital. That's how the hype cycle game is played, and it happens among mostly consenting adults. Fair enough you might say. No hype and nothing gets done (maybe). But when it comes to social movement hype... Continue Reading →
BRILLIANT paper on sustainability transitions and political ecology. #holycrap #jealous
And the Best Paper I Have Read This Month Award goes to... drum-roll please... Lawhon, M. and Murphy, J. 2011. Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions: Insights from political ecology. Progress in Human Geography. Vol. 36 (3), pp.354-378. Here is the abstract Sustainability is increasingly becoming a core focus of geography, linking subfields such as urban,... Continue Reading →
Me and your research
I don't get many requests to take part in research, but the rate seems to be increasing, and the to-and-fro takes up everyone's bandwidth. Therefore this; Dear Xx/Xy/prefer not to say, I am flattered by your request to take part in your research. My decision always leans to 'no' because of a) time constraints and... Continue Reading →
Babies, bathwater, innovation and Gramsci…
The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (a mouthful, I know) runs internal seminars where academics get to test out new ideas/reboot old ones and generally reflect on the direction(lessness) of travel for innovation policy, science and technology policy and much else. It can be dreadful, but when it works – and it did yesterday –... Continue Reading →
Method(ology) to my madness…
A GREAT article on methods and methodology, which I have had in the 'to read' pile finally got read during a park-walk Hyett, N. and Dickson-Swift, V. 2014. Methodology or method? A critical review of Qualitative case study reports. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being. There is SO MUCH good stuff in... Continue Reading →
It feels like they win when they lose – hegemonic accommodation and institutional entrepreneurs
I re-read Levy, D. and Scully, M. 2007. The Institutional Entrepreneur as Modern Prince: The Strategic Face of Power in Contested Fields. Organization Studies, 28(07): 971–991. while slogging around Alex Park with my backpack full of books and weights this morning. I had forgotten just how damn good it is, and how damn useful it will... Continue Reading →
‘Courageous’ politician vs cars. Cars win. The Netherlands 1989…
So, I just read this. I haven't double-checked it yet, by the author is a damn fine journo/thinker/historian... It's from a story about an(other) attempt to reduce the damage caused by cars in Los Angeles. Last month the centre-right coalition Government of Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers came up with a comprehensive plan to keep the... Continue Reading →
#Keating and #climate – the longer Cabinet papers story
The 1992/3 Cabinet Papers have been released. The Conversation let me (I badgered them) do the article on what we learn from them about the environmental policy battles. It's posted here, and I think they did their usual excellent job editing me. Here is the full (much too long for their format) version, in case... Continue Reading →
Bateson, schismogenesis, etc and The Wire…
So, am reading about Institutional Work. And stumbled on an article that used the best television show that I ever saw ('The Wire') to talk about this and a LOT else. Not sure how I will be able to use it in The Thesis (concept of fields, relentless contestation that changes the actors - and... Continue Reading →
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