Posted: March 18th, 2023

Quality of Critical Public Policy Scholarship

Public Policy Scholarship

Despite significant progress in addressing institutionalized racism and other public policies that operate to the disadvantage of oppressed and marginalized groups, the recent upsurge in race-related incidents across the country underscores the fact that much more remains to be done to eliminate these oppressive and inequitable policies from American society. This paper provides a critical review of the assigned readings to assess the extent to which the concepts, assumptions and arguments that are presented are an example of public policy scholarship and a critical assessment of the extent to which the arguments presented in readings reveal the social justice impacts of public policy on groups that are excluded and marginalized. Finally, an explanation concerning how the argument that minority inclusion programs are ineffective in really assisting black women in the oil and gas sector based on the readings is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning assessing critical public policy scholarship in the paper’s conclusion.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get Your Custom Essay on

Just from $13/Page

Order Essay

1. Critical assessment of the extent to which the concepts, assumptions, and arguments presented in the readings are an example of critical public policy scholarship

Although public policy scholarship can involve a wide array of social, economic and political issues, Smith and Larimer (2013) maintain that critical public scholarship must be focused on the types of major problems that are currently having a positive or negative impact on society. In this regard, Smith and Larimer (2013) point out that, “The research questions at the heart of the subdisciplines that make up the field of policy studies are big ones, with large, real-world consequences. If there is, or ever is going to be, such a thing as a field of policy studies, those important questions have to be pushed to the forefront” (p. 15).

From this perspective, then, the readings can all be regarded as critical public policy scholarship given that they were all focused on these types of “important questions.” This varied focus and use of different conceptual models to develop a better understanding of public policy issues, however, is highly congruent with the primary goals of engaging in public policy scholarship in the first place. As Smith and Larimer (2013) point out, “Public policy is such a diffuse topic that it is hard to even imagine a single, broad conceptual model that all policy scholars could practically adopt and apply” (p.16).

The readings made it clear that power can be applied in ways that marginalize women and minorities, including the draconian sentencing laws that have incarcerated a significant percentage of an entire generation of African-American males. For instance, Roberts (2004) reports that, “Penal institutions have historically been key components of social policy aimed at governing marginal social groups” (p. 1298). In fact, among the several readings, the journal article by Roberts (2004) stands out as an exemplar of public policy scholarship because she specifically focuses on these types of important questions and supports her assertions with hard evidence. A good example of this can be discerned from her observation that, “The extraordinary prison expansion involved young black men in grossly disproportionate numbers. Achieving another historic record, most of the people sentenced to time in prison today are black” (p. 1272).

Indeed, Roberts (2004) stresses that at any given point in time, almost 33% of young African-American males are actively involved with the criminal justice system in some capacity, including incarceration or community-based alternatives such as probation or parole, an increase from a still-alarming one-in-four rate in 1990. Not only does Roberts (2004) provide recent statistical data concerning incarceration rates for African-Americans, she explains how the war on drugs has been used to target this segment of society in ways that have vastly enriched an entire criminal justice system, including private prisons and a growing horde of criminal justice lawyers. For example, Roberts (2004) points out that, “The percentage of drug arrests that result in prison sentences has quadrupled, resulting in a prison-building boom the likes of which the world has never seen” (p. 59).

Yet another good example of this level of public policy scholarship was the article by Alexander (2010) who reports that following the launch of the ill-conceived “war on drugs” in the U.S. during the end of the 20th century, law enforcement authorities failed to receive any training that would facilitate their identifying drug suspects versus ordinary citizens but the training they did receive “guarantees precisely the opposite” (p. 69). During the 30-year period in which the war on drugs has been prosecuted, the number of African-American males that have been incarcerated has skyrocketed by more than 1,100%, and it is clear that the purported goals of the war on drugs have operated to unjustly target these minority members. In this regard, Alexander (2010) reports that, “Nothing has contributed more to the systematic mass incarceration of people of color in the United States than the war on drugs” (p. 69). More troubling, the vast majority of young African-American males have been incarcerated for drug-related crimes only, and fully four-fifths of these were for possession only (Alexander, 2004).

The implications of these disturbing trends have been profound and broad-based, and as noted above the adverse effects of having an significant percentage of African-American males incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system at any given point in time extend to their families, friends and entire communities. The fact that these trends have been allowed to persist for so long and to become even more pronounced clearly indicates that additional critical public policy scholarship of this type is required in order to address the underlying causes which extend far beyond sentencing practices

Some of the other readings, however, made it clear that mainstream American society tends to largely ignore or disregard these types of oppressive public policies, especially those that are longstanding or insidious, particularly when they are not personally affected by them. It is a fairly straightforward matter to understand how many white Americans might not be especially troubled by the massive incarceration of young black men whom they already view as a potential threat, and it is even easy to understand how young African-American men can internalize these outcomes as being a natural and inevitable part of their lives.

In fact, one of the more perplexing aspects of identifying public policies that result in oppression and inequities is the powerful messages that marginalized segments of society receive throughout their lives concerning their “proper place in society,” lessons that eventually have a subversive effect on the thinking of these groups to the extent that they accept these spurious arguments even if they do not consciously realize it. For instance, according to an early essay by Collins (1989), “Black women’s everyday act of resistance challenges two prevailing approaches to studying the consciousness of oppressed groups” (p. 746). The first approach, Collins advises, posits that minority groups such as African-American women tend to “identify with the powerful and have no valid independent interpretation of their own oppression” (p. 746). The second approach is even more severe in its assumptions, claiming that oppressed peoples are “less human than their own rulers and, therefore, are less capable of articulating their own standpoint” (p. 747).

This constraint has resulted in a growing sense among marginalized segments of society that they must organize to raise public awareness. For example, according to Crenshaw (1991), “The process of recognizing what was formerly perceived as isolated and individual has characterized the identity politics of African-Americans, other people of color, and gays and lesbians, among others” (pp. 1241-1242). Indeed, even in otherwise enlightened Canadian public policy, laws can operate to oppress marginalized peoples in ways that might not readily be apparent to mainstream society. As Hankivsky and Christoffersen (2008) point out, in a healthcare context, “typical approaches do not systematically incorporate analyses that capture mutually enforcing effects of various social locations and experiences of domination and oppression” (p. 272).

Moreover, Hankivsky and Christofferson (2008) also emphasize that other factors besides race such as gender can introduce serious inequalities in public policy. For example, Hankivsky and Christofferson (2008) conclude that, “Among many women’s health researchers, differences between women are merely paid lip service, and a good number of leading experts resist moving forward, in a meaningful way, on the issue of intersecting axes of oppression that affect health” (p. 273).

2. Critical assessment of the extent to which the arguments presented in readings reveal the social justice impacts of public policy on groups that are excluded and marginalized

The readings were consistent in underscoring the manner in which social justice impacts of public policy adversely affected marginalized and excluded groups in the U.S. today. For example, citing the enormous impact that current “lock ’em up and throw away the keys” sentencing regimens that inordinately affect African-Americans, Roberts (2004) emphasizes that not only are the inmates being harmed, their friends, families and communities are being affected by these policies as well. In this regard, Roberts advises that,” By damaging social networks, distorting social norms, and destroying social citizenship, mass incarceration serves a repressive political function that contradicts democratic norms and is itself immoral” (p. 1304).

Indeed, even thoughtful and well-intended public policies can have unintended and unexpected consequences for excluded and marginalized groups, and these consequences can become even more severe when there is any latitude allowed in the manner in which they are implemented and administered. As Schneider and Ingrams (1997) emphasize, “Policies usually serve several different purposes and interests simultaneously and therefore have consequences on several levels. Many of the consequences depend mainly on the meanings and interpretations that constitute the social construction of the policy in value dimensions” (p. 3).

3. Explanation concerning how the argument that minority inclusion programs are ineffective in really assisting black women in the oil and gas sector

According to Schneider and Ingram (1997), the affirmative action programs targeted at negatively viewed minorities and women were intended to provide them with a voice and opportunities. In this regard, Schneider and Ingram (1997) note that, “Rehabilitation programs, welfare, civil rights, and affirmative action programs are some of the types of policies that benefit the powerless groups who are negatively viewed” (p. 140). The mixed results of affirmative action programs to date, however, have included a growing sense of resentment among mainstream society concerning these types of entitlement programs for minorities and women.

Therefore, because critical public policy scholarship must be focused on the “important questions” of the day, identifying ways to effectively facilitate the entry of black women into previously white male-dominated sectors such as oil and gas will require reformulating these issues into a moral question that will compel the American public and political leaders to effect meaningful change. As Roberts concludes, “The demise of past regimes of racial repression-slavery, Jim Crow segregation, the urban black ghetto-required the conversion of normal social arrangements into a moral question” (p. 1304).

Unfortunately, even the progress that has been achieved in overcoming Jim Crow segregation has not been complete, and the legacy of slavery and racial stereotypes continue to haunt the American consciousness despite nearly a century and a half of efforts to address them head-on. Taken together, the lack of progress in assisting black women in gaining entry into male-dominated professions and sectors represents a timely and important public policy issue that deserves more attention from public policy scholars.

Conclusion

The research showed that critical public policy scholarship must be focused on the important questions that affect society, and from this perspective, all of the readings rose to this level despite being focused on different issues. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the concepts, assumptions and arguments presented in these readings represent legitimate examples of public policy scholarship. The research was also consistent in showing that the readings served to reveal the social justice impacts of public policy on excluded and marginalized groups. Finally, the research also showed that despite their otherwise laudable goals, the overarching effects of affirmative action programs targeted at African-American women have not only been mixed, they have been harmful in many cases due to the heightened sense of resentment from white Americans concerning this seemingly inappropriate entitlements that are designed to address problems in which they believe they had no active role in creating or sustaining. Consequently, it is also reasonable to conclude that unless and until these issues are presented to Americans as moral questions, the barriers to fully participatory and democratic processes will remain firmly in place, with minorities and women being further marginalized and oppressed in the process.

References

Alexander, M. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New York: The New Press.

Cho, S., Crenshaw, K. W. & McCall, L. (2013, Summer). Toward a field of intersectionality. Signs, 38(4), 785-810.

Collilns, P. H. (1989, Summer). The social construction of black feminist thought. Signs, 14(4), 745-773.

Crenshaw, K. (1991, July). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241-1299.

Hankivsky, O. & Christoffersen, A. (2008, September). Intersectionality and the determinants of health: a Canadian perspective. Critical Public Health, 18(3), 271-283.

Roberts, D. E. (2004, April). The social and moral cost of mass incarceration in African-American communities. Stanford Law Review, 56, 1271-1305.

Schneider, A. L. & Ingram, H. (1997). Policy design for democracy. University Press of Kansas.

Smith, K. B. (2013). The public policy theory primer. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

Plagiarism free papers
Timely delivery
Any deadline
Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
Subject-relevant academic writer
Adherence to paper instructions
Ability to tackle bulk assignments
Reasonable prices
24/7 Customer Support
Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment Help Service Works

1. Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2. Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3. Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4. Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

smile and order essay PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

Posted: March 15th, 2022