In "Crippling Epistemologies and Governance Failures", Gilles Paquet criticizes the prevailing practices of the social sciences on the basis of their inadequate concepts of knowledge, evidence and inquiry, concepts he claims have become methodological 'mental prisons'. Paquet describes the prevailing policy development process in Canada in terms of its weak information infrastructure, poor accountability, and inflexible organization design. In contrast, he suggests that social science and public policy should promote forms of 'serious play' that would allow organizations to experiment with new structures. Paquet engages with numerous foundationalist programs in the social sciences in order to show their inadequacy and suggests important and unexplored directions in policy areas as diverse as education, science, health, intergovernmental and foreign policy. He closes the work with a plea for experimentalism in academic research, policy development, and organization design.
- ISBN10 0776617788
- ISBN13 9780776617787
- Publish Date 18 April 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country CA
- Imprint University of Ottawa Press
- Format eBook
- Pages 298
- Language English
- URL http://press.uottawa.ca/crippling-epistemologies-and-governance-failures