Quando cambiano i paradigmi. Note sul ruolo delle idee nelle politiche sociali

This paper aims at discussing the role assumed by ideas in the policy making process. Drawing on the foundational literature stemming from the neo-institutional perspective, I will show how ideas inform the process of creation, design, and implementation of policies. This implies a reflection on the concept of paradigm, an influential idea in itself: ideas and interests are intertwined in the definition of policy approaches and in the definition of what is labelled as a paradigmatic shift. The adoption of this concept caused a burgeoning debate between scholars: in particular, I will highlight the perspective that sees social change as a cumulative process of bricolage and negotiation, with a greater attention to the endogenous factors of paradigmatic change.