Practices of Policy Orientation: A Study of the Heterogeneous Field of Democracy Promotion Research. Issue 1 (17th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Holthaus, Leonie; Wolff, Jonas
• Is Part Of: International studies review. Volume 25:Issue 1(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01-17
• Subjects: sociology of knowledge -- democracy promotion -- policy orientation; sociología del conocimiento -- fomento de la democracia -- orientación normativa; sociologie de la connaissance -- promotion de la démocratie -- orientation politique; International relations -- Periodicals; World politics -- Periodicals; 320.05
• DOI: 10.1093/isr/viac062
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1521-9488

Abstract

Abstract: In this article, we address the question of how policy orientation shapes academic research from a sociological perspective. Policy orientation involves the mobilization of scientific resources and the "mobilization of the world." Our analysis is based on Bourdieusian field theory and focuses on democracy promotion research (DPR). It shows that DPR is a heterogeneous academic field characterized by the field-specific demand for policy orientation. (Western) Scholars and, particularly, scholar-practitioners occupy central positions, and field-specific practices of policy orientation include stocktaking, evaluation, problem identification, and critical intervention. While we derive these insights from analysis of DPR, our findings are useful for the study of policy orientation in similar academic fields. For the reflexive and systematic analysis of how policy orientation shapes, for example, development studies and human rights research, we suggest a focus on interrelations between academic fields, field-specific struggles, and relationships with the respective policy fields.