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The semantic dimension in AIDS policy changes in France
Author(s) -
Eun Jaeho
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international social science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.237
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1468-2451
pISSN - 0020-8701
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2009.01682.x
Subject(s) - pace , legitimacy , punctuated equilibrium , meaning (existential) , perspective (graphical) , positive economics , dimension (graph theory) , semantic change , epistemology , sociology , political science , economics , law , computer science , politics , mathematics , geography , paleontology , philosophy , geodesy , artificial intelligence , pure mathematics , biology
Traditional studies of policy change do not examine directly the source of far‐reaching changes that can commonly be observed in empirical life. The definitional approach is a promising alternative area of research. It can be used to shed light on what is known as the punctuated equilibrium mechanism, meaning a two‐speed pace of policy change: alternating between lengthy periods of incremental change and relatively brief periods of dramatic change. From this perspective, the degrees of policy change are closely related to semantic levels of problem definitions. The greater the enveloping character of the legitimate definition, the more generalised and even radical the change is felt to be. Conversely, as the definitional level diminishes, so the change becomes more local. Indeed, the pace of change is dependent on the pace of the emergence and acceptance of a new legitimate definition. The greater the legitimacy encountered by the new definition, the more rapid the change in policy. Conversely, if the new legitimate definition is adopted only slowly then policies too change only gradually.