Policy scientificity 3.0: theory and policy analysis in-and-for this world and other-worlds

Abstract

This paper examines the epistemologies and ontologies of education policy studies. Our aim is to posit a reinvigoration of policy studies to hedge against undue ossification and co-option of critical policy studies. We do so by arguing for the need to develop new concepts for policy studies using the ‘posts’ (e.g., post-structuralism and post-humanism). The paper aims to create a vocabulary and conceptual contribution to the new ways of undertaking, and new ontologies of, policy studies that are emerging as part of what we term policy scientificity 3.0.

Keywords:

• education policy
• theory
• post-structuralism
• critical

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank a number of people for feedback on this paper. First, the two anonymous reviewers of this paper. Second, Stephen Ball, Eva Bendix Petersen, Elizabeth St Pierre, Matthew Clarke, Deborah Youdell and Stephen Heimans, who read earlier versions on which this paper was based. And finally, we would like to thank the participants of the workshop on ‘Education policy analysis for a complex world: Exploring the possibilities of poststructural policy analysis’ on which this special issue is based, for their insights into theory and analysis.

Notes

1. In other words, ‘Beware of the dreams of others, because if you are caught in their dream, you are done for.’ (Deleuze, 2007, p. 327)

2. The singularity is often referred to as a future point in time in which a constellation of events in artificial intelligence, human-biological changes and/or human-machine interfaces will produce an emergent and superior form of ‘intelligence’. The term refers to a moment, and for some, a thing, although it is not clear if the singularity is specific form of intelligence or an environment that contains multiple ‘superintelligences’. Anyway, we consider policy to be a technology, and one that is adaptive and replacing some of our thinking.

3. With thanks to one of the anonymous reviewers for this phrasing.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

P. Taylor Webb

P. Taylor Webb is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada. His scholarship covers education policy, philosophy and new methodologies.

Kalervo N. Gulson

Kalervo N. Gulson is a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Australia. His scholarship covers education policy, race, and social and cultural geography.