Overview
Clumsy Solutions for a Complex World is a powerful and original statement on why well-intended attempts to alleviate pressing social ills too often derail, and how effective, efficient and broadly acceptable solutions to social problems can be found.
Full Product Details
Author: M. Verweij ,
M. Thompson
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Dimensions:
Width: 14.00cm
, Height: 1.90cm
, Length: 21.60cm
Weight: 0.493kg
ISBN: 9780230002302
ISBN 10: 0230002307
Pages: 255
Publication Date: 31 August 2006
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of print, replaced by POD
We will order this item for you from a manufatured on demand supplier.
Reviews
'Casual observers might think 'clumsiness' comes naturally to government and public policy-making. If so, they might be surprised by how often it is carefully suppressed - often with disastrous consequences, as this book shows. We need to develop the methodology for the important angle of vision this book represents.' - Christopher Hood, Gladstone Professor of Government, University of Oxford, UK 'This study is a clever and important assault on the precepts 'drummed into the heads of those who aspire to be policy analysts' - that there is a single mindset in which a problem must be defined, facts and values distinguished and simple evaluative metrics deployed to achieve optimisation. The authors demonstrate the tragedies perpetrated by this dangerous approach. They show that plural voices - as identified by cultural theory - are necessary for clumsy, but safe, constructively engaged and politically feasible policy-making.' - Professor Tony Allan, KCL/SOAS University of London, UK '...anyone eager to look at an adequately complex model for governance that satisfies sociology's stringent standards might usefully turn to this volume.' - Michalis Lianos, British Journal of Sociology
'A fascinating manifesto.' - The Globe and Mail '...In an ideal world, everyone that has even a remote relation to policy and decision making would keep a well-worn copy of this book always at hand.' - British Journal of Sociology 'Both those who try to understand policy failures and those who intend to advise policy makers should take its argument about clumsiness seriously According to Verweij, Thompson and Engel, clumsiness is the new norm to craft policies suited to our complex world through the acknowledgement of plural logics. The message is convincingly conveyed here.' - Political Geography 'Casual observers might think 'clumsiness' comes naturally to government and public policy-making. If so, they might be surprised by how often it is carefully suppressed - often with disastrous consequences, as this book shows. We need to develop the methodology for the important angle of vision this book represents.' - Christopher Hood, Gladstone Professor of Government, University of Oxford, UK 'This study is a clever and important assault on the precepts 'drummed into the heads of those who aspire to be policy analysts' - that there is a single mindset in which a problem must be defined, facts and values distinguished and simple evaluative metrics deployed to achieve optimisation. The authors demonstrate the tragedies perpetrated by this dangerous approach. They show that plural voices - as identified by cultural theory - are necessary for clumsy, but safe, constructively engaged and politically feasible policy-making.' - Tony Allan, Kings College and SOAS, University of London, UK
'A fascinating manifesto.' - The Globe and Mail '...In an ideal world, everyone that has even a remote relation to policy and decision making would keep a well-worn copy of this book always at hand.' - British Journal of Sociology 'Both those who try to understand policy failures and those who intend to advise policy makers should take its argument about clumsiness seriously According to Verweij, Thompson and Engel, clumsiness is the new norm to craft policies suited to our complex world through the acknowledgement of plural logics. The message is convincingly conveyed here.' - Political Geography 'Casual observers might think 'clumsiness' comes naturally to government and public policy-making. If so, they might be surprised by how often it is carefully suppressed - often with disastrous consequences, as this book shows. We need to develop the methodology for the important angle of vision this book represents.' - Christopher Hood, Gladstone Professor of Government, University of Oxford, UK 'This study is a clever and important assault on the precepts 'drummed into the heads of those who aspire to be policy analysts' - that there is a single mindset in which a problem must be defined, facts and values distinguished and simple evaluative metrics deployed to achieve optimisation. The authors demonstrate the tragedies perpetrated by this dangerous approach. They show that plural voices - as identified by cultural theory - are necessary for clumsy, but safe, constructively engaged and politically feasible policy-making.' - Tony Allan, Kings College and SOAS, University of London, UK
Author Information
MARCO VERWEIJ is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Singapore Management University, Singapore. He is also associated with the James Martin Institute of Science and Civilization in the Said Business School at the University of Oxford. The empirical part of his research concerns public policy regarding international issues such as climate change, development aid, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The theoretical part of his research is concerned with making a contribution to the linking of several social science-theories (in particular cultural theory and relational models theory)
