Key messages Consistencies in the Behavioural Insights field are its ‘behavioural science-based policy’ narrative, and the reliance on particular role models and tools. However, areas of contingency exist as well with respect to method and theory use. These methodological contingencies raise questions about the scope, coherence and legitimacy of the field. Introduction In the last two decades, a new trend of ‘Behavioural Insights’ has entered the global policy scene ( OECD, 2017 ; Whitehead et al, 2017 ; John, 2018 ). This trend aims to infuse
Introduction: the rise of behavioural insights in government Understanding how incentives and constraints influence the behaviour of citizens and social groups has always been fundamental to the theory and practice of good governance and regulatory systems. The distinctive contribution of behavioural sciences in recent decades (based especially in social psychology, criminology, marketing and economics) has been to sharpen our appreciation that habitual and emotive factors shape the actual choices of citizens ( Kahneman, 2011 ; Halpern, 2015 ; Thaler, 2016
37 Policy & Politics • vol 47 • no 1 • 37–56 • © Policy Press 2019 Print ISSN 0305 5736 • Online ISSN 1470 8442 • https://doi.org/10.1332/030557318X15174915040678 Accepted for publication 08 January 2018 • First published online 09 March 2018 article Brokering behaviour change: the work of behavioural insights experts in government Joram Feitsma, j.n.p.feitsma@uu.nl Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands A behavioural insights community has emerged within a growing number of governments. While this community helps to make policies more behavioural science based
Introduction Behavioural public policy (BPP) has been suggested as a new policy paradigm to utilise behavioural insights, that is, evidence-based expertise on human behaviour, 1 for policymaking. So far, behavioural policies are predominantly based on insights from behavioural economics and psychology in order to ‘nudge’ people to act in line with predefined aims and to overcome the dilemma of behaviour that contradicts economic rationality and is in conflict with desired policy ends. However, behavioural insights are ‘embedded in several historical
Social policy and human geography are intimately intertwined yet frequently disconnected fields. Whilst social policies are always conceived, implemented and experienced in and through geography, the role of place in social policy scholarship and practice is frequently overlooked. Bringing together experts from both fields, this collection illuminates the myriad of ways that human geography offers rich insights conceptually, empirically and methodologically into the neglected spatialities of policy scholarship, practice and experience.
By building the necessary bridges towards a spatial social policy, this book enables the enhanced design, performance and understanding of social policies once properly rooted in their multiple spatialities.
‘Behaviour change’ has become a buzz phrase of growing importance to policymakers and researchers. There is an increasing focus on exploring the relationship between social organisation and individual action, and on intervening to influence societal outcomes like population health and climate change. Researchers continue to grapple with methodologies, intervention strategies and ideologies around ‘social change’.
Multidisciplinary in approach, this important book draws together insights from a selection of the principal thinkers in fields including public health, transport, marketing, sustainability and technology. The book explores the political and historical landscape of behaviour change, and trends in academic theory, before examining new innovations in both practice and research. It will be a valuable resource for academics, policy makers, practitioners, researchers and students wanting to locate their thinking within this rapidly evolving field.
This unique book offers a timely analysis of the impact of rapidly advancing knowledge about the brain, mind and behaviour on contemporary public policy and practice. Examining developments in behaviour change policies, neuroscience, architecture and urban design, education, and workplace training programmes the book analyses the global spread of research agendas, policy experiments and everyday practice informed by ‘brain culture’. It offers an alternative, geographically informed set of explanations for what matters in explaining how people behave and how citizens’ behaviour should be governed. It will be of interest to students and academics across the social and behavioural sciences.
Drawing on a wide array of policy domains and events, this book provides an innovative account of social control and behaviourism within welfare systems and social policies, and the implications for disadvantaged groups.
This accessible collection reviews the controls, assumptions and persuasions applied to individuals and households and explores broader themes, including how ‘new behaviourism’ was consolidated during the New Labour and Cameron periods.
Social policy and social control offers timely engagements with key issues for researchers and policy makers, and is relevant for students in social policy, sociology, socio-legal studies, social work and social care, disability studies, human geography, politics and public policy, and gender, family and life course studies.
In recent years the nature of policy and politics has witnessed significant transformations. These have challenged perceptions about the ways in which policy is studied, designed, delivered and appraised. This book –the first in the New Perspectives in Policy and Politics series - brings together world-leading scholars to reflect on the implications of some of these developments for the field of policy studies and the world of practice.
First published as a special issue of Policy & Politics, the book offers critical reflections on the recent history and future direction of policy studies. It advances the debate by rethinking the ways in which scholars and students of policy studies can (re)engage with pertinent issues in pursuit of both scholarly excellence and practical solutions to global policy problems.
Available open access under CC-BY-NC license. Homelessness is unequivocally devastating. In the UK, people affected by homelessness are ten times more likely to die than their peers in the general population, yet we still miss important opportunities to adequately address the issue.
The Centre for Homelessness Impact brings together this urgent book gathering the insights and experiences of leaders in government, academia and the third sector to present new evidence-based strategies to end homelessness.
Demonstrating why and how a new movement is needed that embraces data and evidence as integral to ending homelessness effectively, this book provides crucial methods to underpin future policy, practice and funding decisions.
