How Dose Discourse Matter? The Policy Analytical
Frame of Discursive Institutionalism
Peian Lv
Making use of the core concepts of fixed preference, path dependence and cultural norms, the paradigms of new institutionalism, such as rational choice, history and sociology (organization), attempt to explain the mechanism which affects human behavior. However, the emphasis on structuralism is more suitable to explain the static external constraints, and it is difficult to analyze the spontaneous action of the actors and the strategic choice of the active corresponding system environment. These difficulties lead to the debate and reflection of the neo-institutional scholars, and gradually form the discursive institutionalism(DI), which based on the effectiveness of ideas. The DI paradigm integrates linguistics, hermeneutics, structural anthropology and social critical theory, and aims to analyze the policy process formed by different discourses and their interactions, In this process, the agents, following the “logic of communication logic” and within the institutional environment, conduct ideational articulation, discursive formation and institutionalization to promote institutional changes. By analyzing the context of DI development and its research approach, this paper aims to explore the policy analysis viewpoints of DI, and discuss how DI benefits the problem orientation and localization of the policy science in our country.
Key words Discursive Institutionalism, Ideational Forces, Discursive Analysis, Policy Change