Presentation

The aim of this class is twofold: to consolidate students’ knowledge and understanding of the concepts and general theoretical approaches of the sociology of public action as presented in the fourth year, on the one hand; to frame the analysis of public policies in the context of original situations, in the South, i.e. in specific contexts of action planning and implementation, most often marked by limited capacities and unusual forms of public action. This sub-discipline of political science has, in fact, emerged and continues to develop essentially on American and European grounds. Our starting point is to explore the adaptability of concepts, notions and tools to diverse situations in Southern countries. Based on different theoretical approach, text readings and empirical case studies, the objective is to discuss the adaptability and relevance of concepts to re-examine, through policy analysis, the making of politics and the state in the South.

Recommended Prerequisite(s)

Students must have attended the fourth-year class, or equivalent class in public policy analysis; they must have good knowledge of politics and politics in the South as well as skills in organizational analysis and the sociology of decision making.

Bibliography

• MacConnell. A., Policy Success, Policy Failure and Grey Areas In-Between, Journal of public policy, 30, 3, 345-362, 2010. 
• Boussaguet, L., Les "faiseuses" d’agenda. Les militantes féministes et l’émergence des abus sexuels sur mineurs en Europe, Revue française de science politique, 2009, vol. 59, n°2, p. 221-246. 
• Clapp J. et Swanston L., Doing away with Plastic Shopping Bags: International Patterns of Norm Emergence and Policy Implementation.
• Debonneville J., Diaz Venegas P.A., Environmental Politics, 2009, vol. 18, n°3, p. 315-332.
• Anonymous, Rosewood democracy in the political forest of Madagascar, Political Geography, 62, 170-183, 2018.

Educational formula

The class revolves around the study of, and presentation and collective discussion about scientific articles and case studies. Reading the prescribed texts is therefore mandatory. Students in this class undergo continuous assessment, based on their presentation of texts, cross discussions, and oral participation in class. Each participant will also work on the scientific and methodological preparation of a report that can be used as a fifth-year dissertation on a given public policy issue.