The use of biological ideas and techniques in the study of mental ill-health and the practice of psychiatry is nothing new. But just because it isn’t new doesn’t mean that’s the only thing that’s going on in research and in the clinic: many other notions (psychological, sociological, and so on) interpolate with somatic emphases in psychiatry.
Beyond diagnosis? Shifting approaches in psychiatry Read More »
Paul Cairney discusses notions of trust and the idea of ‘speaking truth to power’ for scientists in science policy debates with policymakers.
How to engage effectively and ‘speak truth to power’ Read More »
Sotiria Grek discusses the OECD national education policy reviews in the context of shaping the public and policy debate on education governance in Sweden.
The role of socialisation in education governance: the case of the OECD country reviews Read More »
Susan Owens, Fellow of the British Academy, introduces her Skape Keynote Lecture, 30 May 2018.
Trusting in expertise? Knowledge, advice and policy in the environmental domain Read More »
In this post, Morten Jerven reflects on the growing authority awarded to quantification in global governance, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
A word that counts? The promise and pitfall of ruling the world by numbers Read More »
For a number of years, I have been collaborating with colleagues in surgery, health services research, and bioethics in studying how and why a community of surgeons changes their practice and the consequences of how and why they change their practice.
Reckoning with transvaginal mesh: clinical labour and affect economies Read More »
This talk introduces an embryonic book project that will extend this work in much richer detail. I want to argue, drawing on key case studies across health policy in the UK, that policy actors have good reasons for hanging on to ideals like EBPM, joined-up governance, transparency and citizen engagement in their practice. Namely, I will argue that pursuing these goals helps them a) to cope with the complex demands of contemporary governance, b) to channel their interests and values in persuasive ways, and c) to ensure buy-in from everyone in the face of eliminable complexities and conflicts.
Research on the brain is increasingly drawn upon in policymaking and family services, with consequences for parenting advice and parenting practices.
Neuroscience and public policy: understanding, questioning, deliberating Read More »
Ten years ago, I started work in the communication department of a Norwegian directorate. My background was from the private sector, and one of the first things that caught my attention was all the fuss about evaluations. Evaluations were presented by the leadership as some kind of new magic medicine: providing knowledge, educating the organisation and its partners, changing policies and making the world a better place.
The use of evaluation in six Norwegian directories Read More »
In the Finnish context, the term expert-by-experience is used to refer to people with prior social problems who have been invited to act as ‘experts’ in CSOs and public sector organisations. The term was introduced in the Finnish context by mental health organisations, following the introduction of a strong participatory emphasis on the Finnish social policy outlines. Now, it is a hugely popular concept and an approach that is largely developed in projects – both in the public and the third sector. Despite its popularity, the term remains ambiguous and is used to signify a variety of people and activities.
