Terry Parminter

Environmental Policy Design: Three Different Theoretical Perspectives Terry Parminter

There are a number of books containing guidelines for policy makers on the formulation and implementation of environmental policy. Making sense of the differences and contradictions in this material can be difficult for practicing policy makers and those students beginning their studies in this area. This book introduces policy makers to the world views held by three different social science disciplines, representing different frameworks about knowledge and understanding. The differences in the frameworks reflect both opportunities for insights, and the limitations that are inherent within each discipline. When policy makers do not appreciate these, they are likely to misunderstand the potential contribution of theory to practice and practice to theory, and so build a chasm between them. Instead, this report encourages policy makers to consider how the world views associated within each discipline could be used to inform the development of policy interventions that are going to be effective in addressing the range of issues arising in environmental policy.