The Policy Science Movement (An Outsider's View)

In: Policy sciences: integrating knowledge and practice to advance human dignity ; the journal of the Society of Policy Scientists, Band 6, Heft 3, S. 211-222

Abstract

Expansion of the policy science movement is indicated by the proliferation of policy science centers, the existence of a specialized journal, & the large number of programmatic books being published. The significance of this expansion is assessed from the viewpoint of an applied sociologist. The central issue for this assessment is the role assigned to policy scientists by themselves, ie, their strategy, in the decision-making process. Important features of this image include reassessment of goals, occupation of a new type of professional role, freedom from responsibility to contribute to the growth of knowledge in specific academic disciplines, & need to make recommendations acceptable to the sponsor of policy research. Within the style thus evolved, which steers a middle ground between accepting goals exactly as given & replacing them with entirely new goals, four research tendencies are notable: (1) bypassing microsociological data, (2) futurism, (3) orientation toward systems analysis, & (4) self-identification as interdisciplinary in approach. Modified HA.