LIST OF PANELS

The import of the study of narratives rests on the idea that we are homo narrans, who not only use but need narrative to make meaning of the world around us. Narratives both reflect and shape who we are. While the study of narratives reaches back for centuries, the systematic study of policy narratives is relatively new. As such, the power of policy narratives is a phenomenon in policy process and policy analysis research that is growing in popularity.

From the 1990s to now, policy narrative scholars have been intrigued with understanding the role of policy narratives at all points in the policy process. The arc of these scholarly works have engendered a range of epistemological approaches, from interpretive and contextually based (e.g., discursive politics) to the more quantitatively oriented (e.g., Narrative Policy Framework). In turn, the accompanying assortment of narrative methodologies has been used in the analysis of a broad array of substantive public policies at multiple scales (micro, meso, macro) and in a variety of contexts. This diversity of approaches and policy domains has produced conceptions of policy narratives that invoke varied theoretical and philosophical traditions as well as different operational protocols. In short, there is a plethora of approaches to the study of policy narratives, but we are all working on understanding the power of narratives in the policy process.

The main objective of the Policy Narratives and Public Policy panel is to have papers that clearly articulate a theoretical framework, their narrative data, and the analytical procedures (qualitative, quantitative, mixed). The goal is to gather together scholarly works that are centered on how narratives shape public policy design, processes, and outputs, across different policy contexts. All methodologies and approaches are welcome as well as are all substantive policy foci.

For the Policy Narratives and Public Policy panel we are seeking papers that explicitly identify research questions and are relatable to at least one of the following broader questions:

     1. What is the role of policy narratives in the policy process (i.e., policy design, policy process, decisions, implementation, and analysis)?

     2. What is the role of policy narratives in understanding policy stability and change?

     3. How do policy narratives operate at different levels of analysis (micro, meso, macro)?

In order to be considered for this panel papers must (a) clearly identify the approach, theory, or framework used in studying policy narratives; and, (b) clearly articulate and explain the methods used to answer the research question. Empirical, normative, and theoretical pieces are welcome, so long as they fit the above criteria. 

Our purpose is to generate conversation not only about findings, but about the complexities of studying policy narratives and work toward building a community of policy narrative scholars from a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.