David T. Takeuchi, Ph.D.School of Social Work, Boston College

Presented at the State of Women’s Health in MassachusettsMay 14, 2015

Policy, Practice and Science:Oil and Vinegar?

If you put oil and vinegar in the same vessel you would call them not friends

but opponents

- Aeschylus (Agamemnon)

Images of Science and PolicyScience: Discovery/knowledge (as the

goal), technical, iterative, methodical (replication, validation), value-free, nuanced

Policy: Change (as the goal), action, immediacy or urgency

Comments about Science and Policy

Science: Slow, repetitive, study the obvious, pointless (the “so what question”), wishy-washy, unable to take a stand

Policy: Not evidence-based, biased, politics and not evidence drives policy, assumes people behave for the same reason, emotional

Images and Comments Can Create Boundaries

Science Policy

Boundary Work of Policy and ScienceSocially constructedMakes attribution of selected characteristics to

the institution of scienceits practitionersits methodsstock of knowledge or lack of knowledgevalues and work organization

Attempts to distinguish itself from each otherGieyrn, Thomas. 1983. American Sociological Review

Blurring (Emulsifying) Boundaries

Create incentives to blur

Create mechanisms to blur

Establish environments that help blur

Opportunity to Blur the Boundaries

Strong research and policy faculty

Environment ready and supportive

Establish networks that are receptive to research and policy

Establish key people and organizations to worry about these issues

Creating a Shared Space

Science Policy

Some Possibilities to Blur Boundaries

Joint research-policy briefs

Discussions among researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to identify opportunities

Form research-policy body to share ideas about both policy and research

Develop lexicon that fits within this translational space

We are like oil and vinegar most of the time. But when you shake us up real good, the combination is heavenly.

--- Janet Chapman

(Or you can add a emulsifier)