4th International Conference in Interpretive Policy Analysis: Discourse and Power in Critical Policy Studies
Panel Proposal: Coalition-building and the art of interpretive policy making
Dates June 25-27, 2009
Location University of Kassel, Germany
Call for Papers Deadline January 12, 2009
Inquiries to
Donna McGuire
Franziska M€ üller
Conference website www.ipa2009. uni-kassel. de
The interpretive orientation in the social sciences is a methodological perspective that has evolved to challenge mainstream empiricism and scientism. It is, as such, the basic cornerstone of a critical approach to policy analysis. Attentive to human subjectivity and social meaning, it places policy research in its relevant political and historical contexts.
This 4th conference will focus broadly on discourse and interpretive methods in critical policy analysis, with particular emphasis on the relationship of discourse to power.
Although the conference is open to all topic relevant to discourse and interpretation in policyoriented research, special attention will given to power through a range of substantive topics, such as participatory governance and deliberative policymaking, gender relations and cultural politics, social and political inequalities, political economy and global policy. As a theme, discourse and power will be the prominently featured in the plenary sessions and numerous panels.
Panel proposal
"Coalition-building and the art of interpretive policy making"
Within globalised policy fields, coalitions consist of wide transnational networks, thus requiring from their members a willingness to engage in political communication which bridges organizational, epistemological and cultural borders. As a result forms of policy learning take place which can lead to the diffusion or harmonisation of policy ideas. At the same time, the diversified field of actors and ideas within such transnational coalitions creates enormous challenges for policy learning and political communication.
Interpretive approaches can offer a distinctive perspective on the dynamics of coalitionbuilding. By shifting the focus of analysis to the meanings (values, beliefs, feelings) that policies represent for their multiple stakeholders and the way that these meanings are communicated, an interpretive approach can help explain how coalitions interact, how they develop overlapping or shared interpretations, and also, how they fail in certain policy fields.
By analyzing coalition building as "interpretive act" this panel seeks to explore the
following questions:
- What are the pre-conditions for successful coalition-building?
- What challenges do globalised policy fields pose for coalition-building?
- How can failures be explained?
- Under what circumstances is policy learning possible?
- What role do policy entrepreneurs play within these "interpretive acts"?
This panel is aimed primarily at people in the early stages of their research.
Contributions are welcome that deal with coalition building within various policy fields, such as human rights, labour, development, environmental politics, peace and conflict and which provide different perspectives on the processes involved, for example, the relevance of intermediate actors within a policy process or, the aspect of transnationality in coalition-building.
Papers should be handed in until the 12th of January. A selection of papers for the panel will then be made, and is subject to the approval of the IPA 2009 Conference.
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