The credibility of think tanks is grounded in their image as independent experts. In order to gain authority to act, think tanks must be seen as independent, but in order to exert influence and gain funding, think tanks are forced to compromise this independent image. We focus on how think tanks handle this independence paradox. How do think tanks use different resources to construct an independent image? The aim of the article is conceptual, as we develop a theoretical model of the independence paradox. This conceptual work is based on empirical analysis of attempts by think tanks in Poland and Sweden to create independence while maintaining influence. The two desirables central for think tanks, independence and influence, force them to make strategic choices about their relations with various actors. We conclude that the processes of keeping distance and arranging proximity are at the core of the independence paradox.
This article belongs to the special cluster, “Think Tanks in Central and Eastern Europe”, guest-edited by Katarzyna Jezierska and Serena Giusti. This article explores the image and reputation of think tanks in their reciprocal relationship with their environment. The aim is to unravel the logic of think tanks’ institutional identity formation in the largely understudied context of Poland. How do Polish think tanks present themselves and how are they (re)presented by others? To answer these questions, the Goffmanian microsociological framework and positioning theory are adjusted to a study of institutions. The analysis of original interview and media data reveals that Polish think tanks project an image of and are perceived by the media as being weak. I argue that this image and reputation of weakness should primarily be explained by think tanks’ and the media’s perceptions of the political field, which confine the possible identity and positioning of think tanks.
This article casts new light on the processes of collective claims and identity formation in social movements, with the help of the radical political framework of Laclau and Mouffe (Hegemony and socialist strategy: towards a radical democratic politics, Verso, London, 2001). Polish tenants, classified as ''losers'' of transition and marginalized in the mainstream discourse, nevertheless act collectively, mobilizing alliances with other democratic struggles and thus challenge the hegemony of neoliberal dogmas in the country. The very fact of mobilization of a socially and economically deprived group demanding the right to the city is provocative in the studied context. The empirical foundations of our study are 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with Polish tenants' activists cross-referenced with media material produced by and about the movement, and previous studies on the topic. The contribution of this article is twofold: it combines social movement theory with radical political framework and fills the empirical gap in the body of literature on social movements in post-socialist Europe.Résumé Le présent article donne une nouvelle dimension aux processus de plaintes collectives et de création identitaire dans les mouvements sociaux grâce à l'aide du cadre politique radical d'Ernesto Laclau et de Chantal Mouffe (2001). Les locataires polonais, que l'on considère comme les «grands perdants» de la transition, sont marginalisés dans le discours populaire, mais ils agissent néanmoins en collectivité, créant des alliances avec d'autres groupes de lutte démocratique et mettant ainsi en question l'hégémonie des dogmes néolibéraux du pays. Dans le contexte à l'étude, Resumen El presente artículo arroja nueva luz sobre los procesos de demandas colectivas y la formación de identidad en los movimientos sociales, con la ayuda del marco político radical de Ernesto Laclau y Chantal Mouffe (2001). Los inquilinos polacos, clasificados como ''perdedores'' de la transición y marginados en el discurso convencional, no obstante actúan de manera colectiva, movilizando alianzas con otras luchas democráticas y desafían de este modo la hegemonía de los dogmas neoliberales en el país. El propio hecho de la movilización de un grupo desfavorecido social y económicamente que exige el derecho a la ciudad es provocador en el contexto estudiado. Los cimientos empíricos de nuestro estudio son 20 entrevistas semiestructuradas en profundidad realizadas con activistas de inquilinos polacos cruzadas con material de medios de comunicación producido por y sobre el movimiento, y estudios previos sobre el tema. La contribución del presente artículo es doble: combina la teoría del movimiento social con el marco político radical y llena el vacío empírico en la bibliografía sobre movimientos sociales en la Europa post-socialista.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.