Social Construction and Policy Design: A Review of Past Applications

Abstract

One of the leading theories for understanding the policy process is the theory of social construction and policy design developed by Anne Schneider and Helen Ingram. The theory incorporates the social construction and power of target populations to understand the development and implications of policy design. In order to better understand its empirical breadth, depth, and general utility, our analysis reviews all past publications of the theory, focusing specifically on empirical applications (N = 111), from 1993 to 2013. Based on this review, we find: a recent increase in the number of applications of this theory; that these applications appear across a wide range of outlets, relate to numerous policy domains, and are conducted by a diverse group of domestic and international scholars; that the target population proposition has been applied with greater frequency than the theory's feed-forward proposition; and that scholars have a notable interest in understanding causal mechanisms leading to changes in the positioning of target populations among advantaged, contender, dependent, and deviant target population categories. Following a descriptive review of past publications, we offer specific suggestions for theoretical development and future research.KEY WORDS: public policy, policy process, meta-analysis, literature review, social construction, policy design, feedback IntroductionIn 1999, Paul Sabatier edited a volume entitled Theories of the Policy Process (Sabatier, 1999a). Within this now near canonical tome are emergent theories of the policy process from the previous 15 years deemed by Sabatier to sufficiently adhere to scientific standards at the time. Through this effort, he charted a path forward for future policy process scholarship. Explicitly omitted from the edited volume was the work of what Sabatier termed constructivists. At the time, constructivists were a minority of policy process scholars (e.g., Fischer & Forrester, 1993) that focused on the socially constructed nature of policy as well as reality, in which perceptions and intersubjective meaning-making processes were considered central to understanding and explaining the policy process. Among his criticisms, Sabatier described constructivist methods as "nonfalsifiable" and their ideas as "free-floating and unconnected to specific individuals, institutions, or socio-economic conditions" bs_bs_banner The Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 42, No. (Sabatier, 1999b, p. 11). Of course Sabatier was challenged for his decision to exclude this body of work, especially by European scholars (e.g., Parsons, 2000;Radaelli, 2000), but was unyielding in his position to exclude constructivist approaches in the edited volume.One of the most notable constructivist approaches included in Sabatier's "omitted frameworks" list was the theory of social construction and policy design that was first articulated by Schneider and Ingram in 1993 (Sabatier, 1999b, p. 11). However, by the second edition of Theories of the Policy Process, Sabatier (2007a) changed his mind. ...

Processos de políticas públicas em educação do campo no Brasil: estudo multicasos à luz da teoria de construção social

“…Conforme Pierce et al (2014) compreender as suposições teóricas de outras abordagens ajuda na delimitação do escopo e do interesse de pesquisa e até mesmo na escolha de métodos e ferramentas descritas no quarto capítulo desta tese.…”

“…Fonte: Adaptado de Pierce et al (2014) Após resumir os pressupostos fundamentais da teoria de construção social relativa aos processos das políticas públicas é preciso entender o contexto e as definições de Educação do 11 O termo "constructivism" é utilizado pelos autores de design e processos de políticas. No Brasil, esse termo tem um apelo maior para a área pedagógica de Jean Piaget.…”

“…Tangenciamos esforços a partir de abordagens da sociologia, economia da educação, pedagogia e administração escolar, todos contextualizados sob a ênfase das políticas públicas. Um grupo considerável de trabalhos dessa natureza realiza tal interdisciplinaridade, utilizando de diversas fontes (PIERCE et al, 2014).…”

“…Tangenciamos esforços a partir de abordagens da sociologia, economia da educação, pedagogia e administração escolar, todos contextualizados sob a ênfase das políticas públicas. Um grupo considerável de trabalhos dessa natureza realiza tal interdisciplinaridade, utilizando de diversas fontes (PIERCE et al, 2014).Recentemente, observamos avanços significativos nos estudos de educação no campo.No entanto, a maioria das pesquisas aponta que as fracas condições socioeconômicas e as dificuldades ambientais determinam resultados insatisfatórios em avaliações educacionais, apesar de avanços recentes (MACQUAIDE, 2009; POWEL et al, 2009;PASSADOR, 2012;ARTONI, 2012;ALVES; SOARES, 2013;VAUGHN; SAUL, 2013;LOPES, 2014; MLANGENI;CHIOTHA, 2015). Desse modo, verificamos uma lacuna na fronteira do conhecimento no que diz respeito ao enfrentamento, por parte dos atores, em conseguir reverter esse quadro.…”

“…Nesse sentido, não encontramos trabalhos acadêmicos que tenham utilizado das premissas da teoria da construção social no âmbito da educação no campo (PIERCE et al, 2014). É importante ressaltar que tal discussão deve considerar aspectos conjunturais e históricos sem reduzi-la a debates que concernem a poucos interessados.…”