Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Semiotic Analysis and Public Policy evaluates several key areas of public policy that are dependent on narrative, naming, sign, and branding to create meaning. Semiotic analysis, drawing on the work of Saussure, Pierce, and others, allows for creation of a case-oriented model of brand versus product, and of medium compared with message.
Using a critical, Habermasian lens, Atkinson convincingly exposes approaches focusing too heavily on instrumentality and rhetoric that claims resolution of complex societal dilemmas. Rooted in the literature of public policy and semiotics, Atkinson creates an opportunity to delve more fully into the creation of narratives and meaning in policy, and the origins and maintenance of public programs. Evaluation of such programs shows various levels of disconnect between popular understanding of public considerations, political outcomes, and what results from administrative/regulatory process in support of law.
This book will be of interest for scholars and researchers of public policy, policy analysis, public administration, public management, and policy implementation.