300455 Problems, Policies, and Society (S) (SoSe 2022)

Societal problems – such as drug misuse, gender inequalities, or the COVID-19 pandemic – do not just objectively ‘exist’. From a constructivist perspective, problems are defined by making sense of available information, but also based on dominant norms. Most ‘definitions of policy problems have a narrative structure’ (Stone, 2012: 158): they tell simplified stories about how good or bad things happen, and who should take what policy action to improve the situation. The policy solutions that are chosen may thus be more or less fitting to ‘solve’ the problems at hand.
This course will convey a systematic approach to understanding these processes. It will equip participants with the conceptual and reflective skills to analyse the social construction of problems and public policies as well as their political communication, including the construction of social groups that are targeted through these policies. The theoretical concepts will then be applied to exemplary cases of public policies, both on the national level and beyond.

Bibliography

Core literature: Stone, Deborah (2012) Policy Paradox. The Art of Political Decision-Making. Norton & Company.