Analysing Policy : What's the problem represented to be?

Carol Bacchi

ISBN 10: 0733985750 / ISBN 13: 9780733985751

Published by Pearson Education Ltd Sep 2009, 2009

About this Item

Neuware - A novel approach to thinking about public policy and a distinctive methodology for analysing policyIt introduces a set of six questions that probe how 'problems' are represented in policies, followed by an injunction to apply the questions to one's own policy proposals. This form of analysis, it suggests, is crucial to understanding how policy works, how we are governed, and how the practice of policy-making implicitly constitutes us as subjects. The book mounts a challenge to the problem-solving paradigm currently dominating the intellectual and policy landscape, a paradigm manifest in 'evidence-based policy'. Arguing that such a paradigm denies the shaping that goes on in the process of problematisation, it offers a 'what's the problem represented to be ' approach to policy analysis as a counter-discourse. In this view critical thinking involves putting 'problems' into question rather than learning how to 'solve' them.Bacchi's approach to policy analysis offers exciting insights in a wide array of policy areas, including welfare, drugs/alcohol and gambling, criminal justice, health, education, immigration and population, media and research policy. Invaluable to those involved in policy studies and public administration, it will also appeal to students and academics in sociology, social work, anthropology, cultural studies and human geography. Student resources:Chapter summary >.

Seller Inventory # 9780733985751

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Analysing Policy : What's the problem represented to be?
• Publisher: Pearson Education Ltd Sep 2009
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0733985750
• ISBN 13: 9780733985751
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 246W x 189H x 18D millimeters 246 millimeters width by 189 millimeters height by 18 millimeters depth
• Weight: 622 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book offers a novel approach to thinking about public policy and a new, distinctive methodology for analysing policy. It introduces a set of six questions that probe how ‘problems’ are represented in policies, followed by an injunction to apply the questions to one’s own policy proposals. This form of analysis, it suggests, is crucial to understanding how policy works, how we are governed, and how the practice of policy-making implicitly constitutes us as subjects. The book mounts a challenge to the problem-solving paradigm currently dominating the intellectual and policy landscape, a paradigm manifest in ‘evidence-based policy’. Arguing that such a paradigm denies the shaping that goes on in the process of problematisation, it offers a ‘what’s the problem represented to be’ approach to policy analysis as a counter-discourse. In this view critical thinking involves putting ‘problems’ into question rather than learning how to ‘solve’ them.Bacchi’s new approach to policy analysis offers exciting insights in a wide array of policy areas, including welfare, drugs/alcohol and gambling, criminal justice, health, education, immigration and population, media and research policy. Invaluable to those involved in policy studies and public administration, it will also appeal to students and academics in sociology, social work, anthropology, cultural studies and human geography.