LIST OF PANELS

Although a contesting concept, equity is believed to be the core of production and dissemination of knowledge across academic disciplines. In the context of a national state, when knowledge is diverse and inclusive, it helps governments to identify problems and to seek their socially equitable solutions for the benefit of their citizens. Public Administration as an academic discipline is discharging this critical responsibility dating to the early days of the field. Dwight Waldo, a US political scientist, who first described the influence of social equity on the body of public administration as a ductless gland, a subtle but important influence in the field. George Frederickson opines that the search for social equity provides public administration with a real normative base. In this particular milieu, the definition of social equity that has been advanced by Johnson and Savara (2011, p. 282) is deemed useful, "...is the active commitment to fairness, justice, and equality in the formation of public policy, distribution of public services, implementation of public policy, and management of all institutions serving the public directly of any contract. Public administrators, including all persons involved in public governance should seek to prevent and reduce inequality and injustice based on significant social characteristics and to promote greater equality in access to services, procedural fairness, quality of services and social outcomes."

Empirical evidence suggests that countries across the world suffers from the lack of social equity challenges. Wooldridge and Bilharz note that in today's increasingly divisive and complex world, issues of inequity are at the center of policy debates and public frustration regarding a variety of social problems. Widening income gaps, unequal access to health and education resources, and tensions between racial and social groups are at the forefront of conversations, particularly for the public agencies looking to resolve them. By examining the context of the social equity conversation, public administrators may better understand how to reduce inequities in society and the role public policy plays to advance the agenda.

The objectives of this panel is to understand the critical role social equity plays in shaping public policy. In doing so, this panel attempts to explore a broader research question: How and to what extent policy debates centering social equity shapes making and implementing public policy?   

Submissions are welcome on all relevant thematic issues (e.g., health, education, race, gender, economic) that cross-cut between any forms of social (in)equity and public policy. Depending on the number of submissions, similar thematic papers (e.g., racial inequity) will be categorized in one group to ensure a consistent discussion. It is expected that the papers that will be presented in this panel will trigger policy debates and offer policy solutions/suggestions to contribute to make a better world where we all aspire to live in a just society.