Masters in Public Policy and Social Change (MAPS),

Transcription

1 Applied Comparative Methods Masters in Public Policy and Social Change (MAPS), Dr. Ciara O Dwyer (ciara.odwyer@carloalberto.org) Aims and Objectives This course provides an introduction to the theories, principles and practicalities of conducting comparative public and social policy research. It sets out the rationale for its use, outlines the key methodological decisions in designing and conducting a comparative study and discusses the strengths and limitations of the approach. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate their understanding of the key issues involved in comparative research and their capacity to design and critique a study using comparative methods. In the majority of classes, articles from the recent literature will be used to illustrate how comparative methods can be applied in different research contexts. As these articles will form the basis for group discussions in class, students are asked to familiarise themselves with the material in advance. Assessment Students are required to submit a short paper. The titles, length and date will be agreed in the first class. 1

2 Course Outline and Syllabus 1. The Role of Comparative Research This introductory lecture focuses on the key position that comparative methods hold in public and social policy research. It examines why comparative research is important, what can be compared and what purpose it serves and will discuss various theoretical perspectives on comparative methods, arguing that a comparative approach must be guided by theory-driven research questions. The class will also discuss the challenges of developing theoretical concepts and typologies in public policy research and outline strategies for concept formulation. Motel-Klingebiel, A., Teschroemer, C., and Von Kondratowitz, H.J. (2005). Welfare states do not crowd out the family: evidence for mixed responsibility from comparative analyses. Ageing and Society, 25(6), pp Adcock, R. (2005) What is a concept?, C&M Working Paper no. 1, Available at: Caramani, D. Introduction to Comparative Politics. In D. Caramani (Ed.) Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press: Oxford, New York. Clasen, J. (2004) Defining comparative social policy, in P. Kennett (ed.) A handbook of comparative social policy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (ch. 5). Collier D. and Gerring J (eds.) (2009) Concepts and Method in Social Science. The Tradition of Giovanni Sartori. Routledge: New York. Gerring, J. (1999) What makes a concept good? A criterial framework for understanding concept formation in the social sciences. Polity, 31(3), Goertz, G. (2005) Social Science Concepts, Princeton University Press: Princeton. Lijphart, A. (1971) Comparative politics and the comparative method. American Political Science Review, 65(3), Ragin, C. (1987) The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. University of California Press: Berkeley. Sartori, G. (1970) Concept misformation in comparative politics. American Political Science Review, 64(4), Sartori, G. (1984) Guidelines for concept analysis, in G. Sartori (ed.) Social Science Concepts: A Systematic Analysis. Beverly Hills, California: Sage (pp ). 2

3 2. Comparative Strategy: The Logic of Comparative Research This class discusses important concerns in designing a comparative study, namely the logic of comparative research, the scale of analysis, the selection of cases, as well as considerations of necessity, sufficiency and causal complexity. The lecture will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of using small-n comparisons (such as detailed knowledge and thick description of the cases considered), but will also address the disadvantages (limited generalisability of results) and the problems often inherent in small-n research designs (e.g. the problem of selection bias). Magetti, M. (2009). The role of independent regulatory agencies in policy-making: a comparative analysis. Journal of European Public Policy, 16(3), Caramani, D. (2009) Introduction to the comparative method with Boolean algebra. Sage: Beverly Hills, CA. Collier, D. (1993) The comparative method, in A. Finifter (ed.) Political Science: The State of the Discipline II. Washington D.C.: American Political Science Association, pp Ebbinghaus, B. (2005): When less is more. Selection problems in large-n and small-n crossnational comparisons. International Sociology, 20 (2), Geddes, B. (1990) How the cases you choose affect the answers you get: selection bias in comparative politics. Political Analysis 2 (1990): Goertz, G. (2006) Assessing the trivialness, relevance, and relative importance of necessary or sufficient conditions in social science. Studies in Comparative International Development (SCID) 41(2), Landman, T. (2000) Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics: an Introduction. Routledge: London, New York. Mahoney, J. (2000) Strategies of causal inference in small-n analysis. Sociological Methods and Research, 28, Mahoney, J. and Goertz, G. (2004) The Possibility principle: choosing negative cases in comparative research. American Political Science Review, 98(4), Przeworski, A. and Teune H. (1970) The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry. Wiley- Interscience: New York. Ragin, C. (1987) The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. University of California Press: Berkeley. 3

4 3. Alternative Designs: Large-N studies and Single Cases Although not always considered part of the comparative method, large-n studies are valuable for making inferences and achieving generalisability and because more options for statistical testing are also available. However, the number of variables that can be included in a statistical model can often be quite limited and the extent to which variables and indeed the cases (e.g. countries) are comparable is often open to question. In contrast, though single case studies and historical cases are limited in terms of generalisability, they are often used for validating theories, for studying deviant cases (outliers) for theory generation or as the first step in a comparative study. This lecture considers the advantages and disadvantages of both large-n studies and single cases and discusses approaches for overcoming the inherent challenges involved. Hoffman, A. (2005). Political parties, electoral systems and democracy: a cross-national analysis. European Journal of Political Research, 44, Lijphart, A. (1996). The puzzle of Indian Democracy: a consociational interpretation. American Political Science Review, 90(2), Blomquist, W. (2007) The policy process and large-n comparative studies, in Sabatier P. (ed), Theories of the Policy Process, Second Edition (Ch.9). George A. and Bennett, B. (2005) Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. MIT Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gerring, J. (2007) Case Study Research: Principles and Practice. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Harkness, J. (1999) In pursuit of quality: issues for cross-national survey research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2 (2), Hicks, A and Esping-Andersen, G Comparative and historical studies of public policy and the welfare state in T, Janoski, R Alford, A. Hicks, and M.A. Schwartz. (eds) The Handbook of Political Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Landman, T. (2000) Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics: an Introduction. Routledge: London, New York. Pennings, P., Keman, H. and Kleinnijenhuis, J. (2006) Doing Research in Political Science (Second Edition). Sage: London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli. Raadschelders, J. (2011). Commentary between thick description and large-n Studies: The Fragmentation of Comparative Research. Public Administration Review, 71(6), Ragin, C.C. (1999) The distinctiveness of case-oriented research. Health Services Research, 34(5, part 2),

5 4. Analytical Strategies This lecture outlines various quantitative and qualitative techniques for analysing comparative data. The lecture will outline the logic behind each technique, how they work and their limitations. Hoffman, A. (2005). Political parties, electoral systems and democracy: a cross-national analysis. European Journal of Political Research, 44, Magetti, M. (2009). The role of independent regulatory agencies in policy-making: a comparative analysis. Journal of European Public Policy, 16(3), Caramani, D. (2009) Introduction to the Comparative Method with Boolean Algebra. Sage: London. Esping-Andersen, G. and Przeworski, G. (2001) Quantitative cross-national research methods, in International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Elsevier. Available at: George A. and Bennett, B. (2005) Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. MIT Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Ch. 10) Hantrais, L. (ed.). (1996) Cross National Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Pinter: London, New York (see Part One). Kittel, B. (1999) Sense and Sensitivity in the pooled analysis of political data. European Journal of Political Research, 35 (2), Mahoney, J. and Goertz, G. (2006). A tale of two cultures: contrasting qantitative and qualitative research. Political Analysis, 14, Pennings, P., Keman, H. and Kleinnijenhuis, J. (2006) Doing Research in Political Science (Second Edition). Sage: London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli. Ragin, C. (2008) What is Qualitative Comparative Analysis? Available at Rihoux, B. and Lobe, B. (2009). The case for qualitative comparative analysis (QCA): Adding leverage for thick cross-case comparison, in D. Byrne and C. Ragin (eds) The Sage Handbook of Cse-Based Methods. Sage: London (pp ). Shalev, M. (2006) Limits and alternatives to multiple regression in comparative research. Comparative Social Research, 24,

6 5. Comparative Methods in Perspective This concluding class considers the role of comparative analysis in a wider perspective, examining its role, and limitations, in influencing policy decisions and in providing insights into public and social policy. The lecture also offers insights into how to write up a comparative methods section in writing publications and research proposals. Brady, B. and Curtin, C. (2012). Big Brothers Big Sisters comes to Ireland: a case study in policy transfer. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(8), Hall, Peter A (1990). Helpful hints for writing dissertations in comparative politics. PS: Political Science and Politics, 23(4), Hall, P. (1993) Policy paradigms, social learning, and the state: The case of economic policymaking in Britain. Comparative Politics, 25(3), Hantrais, L. (2005). Policy learning from cross-national comparisons of European social policies. Cross-National Research Papers 7 (6), Lieberson, S. (1991) Small N's and big conclusions: an examination of the reasoning in comparative studies based on a small number of cases. Social Forces, 70(2), Mills, M. van de Bunt, G.G. and de Bruijn, J. (2006). Comparative research: persistent problems and promising solutions. International Sociology, 21: Pennings, P., Keman, H. and Kleinnijenhuis, J. (2006) Doing Research in Political Science (Second Edition). Sage: London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli. Przeworski A. and F. Salomon (1995). The art of writing proposals: Some candid suggestions for applicants to social science research council competitions. Available at Rihoux, B. and Grimm, H. (eds.) (2006) Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis. Beyond the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide. Springer: New York Rose, R. (2005) Learning from Comparative Public Policy: a Practical Guide. Routledge: London. Simonin, B. (1996) Evaluating European observatories and networks in social policy. Comparative Analysis in Public Management in Hantrais, L. (ed.). Cross National Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Pinter: London, New York. (Chapter 13). 6