Abstract
Though political sociologists have sought to understand how self-interest influences politics and policymaking, little research
has examined the mechanisms involved in the relationship between constructing knowledge and forming policy. This article extends
the concept of epistemic culture to the field of policymaking to uncover the mechanisms of knowledge production in policy
formation. It offers an extended case study of government marriage promotion policies that seek to fund and disseminate marriage
education among poor couples with the goal of lifting them out of poverty. Based on an ethnography of a statewide marriage
initiative in Oklahoma, this article maps out the parameters of an epistemic culture of marriage promotion shaped by three
mechanisms: 1) The articulation of connections between policy, commonsense ideas, and extant epistemologies; 2) The formation
of policy that consolidates research findings to quell controversy; and 3) The creation of networks to convince relevant actors
of the importance of marriage promotion policy.
has examined the mechanisms involved in the relationship between constructing knowledge and forming policy. This article extends
the concept of epistemic culture to the field of policymaking to uncover the mechanisms of knowledge production in policy
formation. It offers an extended case study of government marriage promotion policies that seek to fund and disseminate marriage
education among poor couples with the goal of lifting them out of poverty. Based on an ethnography of a statewide marriage
initiative in Oklahoma, this article maps out the parameters of an epistemic culture of marriage promotion shaped by three
mechanisms: 1) The articulation of connections between policy, commonsense ideas, and extant epistemologies; 2) The formation
of policy that consolidates research findings to quell controversy; and 3) The creation of networks to convince relevant actors
of the importance of marriage promotion policy.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-22
- DOI 10.1007/s11133-012-9236-2
- Authors
- Melanie Heath, Department of Sociology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4M4, Canada
- Journal Qualitative Sociology
- Online ISSN 1573-7837
- Print ISSN 0162-0436