Atelier PACTE-LET

A Gramscian Way out of the Aporias of French Cognitive Approach to Policy Analysis

This contribution aims to present the ontological and epistemological aporias of the french cognitive approach to policy analysis (Jobert and Théret 1994; Muller 1994; 2000; 2005; Palier and Surel 2005). Our contention is that, despite undisputable achievements as an heuristic set of tools, this approach suffers fundamental shortcomings when scrutinized at an abstract level. Nevertheless, we think that it might be possible to overcome those hortcomings with the reactivation of the gramscian reference made by some of the tenants of the cognitive approach.

Then, our task is twofold. Firstly, we will sketch the ontological and epistemological problems raised by the cognitive approach. This will be done through the presentation and critique of the central concepts of one of its variants, Pierre Muller's Referential Approach. This will lead us to a close look at the aporias touching three fundamental points: First, the relation between representations of the Global. Referential and the Sectorial Referential. Then, the conception of the structure-agent relations. Finally, we'll analyse an issue that runs across all the approach: the conceptualisation of discourse and ideas. Secondly, we will try to build an inner way out of those aporias by strengthening and deepening the gramscian reference of the cognitive approach. This will be done by taking Cultural Political Economy

(Jessop 2004) and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 2003) as examples of more integrated approaches. We will then review the contribution those approaches could make to the solution of the aporias we exposed in the first part of the contribution.