Manisha Priyam
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198098874
- eISBN:
- 9780199085217
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198098874.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using ...
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This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using the concepts of formal political economy and rational choice, a series of dilemmas mark the working of existing policies—teacher accountability cannot be enforced due to teacher-politician linkages, patronage opportunities, and political power of unions. Educational decentralization and appointing para-teachers on contract is seen as one way of breaking the centralized power of teachers. It argues that this is a technical view to policy reforms—more grounded approaches are needed to understand the contested process of policy change, especially as they are implemented at the local level. It outlines the methodology by which schools, decentralization, teachers and their unions can be examined at the local level, and a ‘bottom-up’ view of policy implementation obtained. The research design enables viewing educational reform as a complex chain of policy decisions and its implementation, including both central and more local variables within the Indian federal system. Viewed in this manner the picture of change that emerges is that of an interactive and contested process.Less
This chapter examines two distinct methodological approaches inspired by economics and sociology in the study of policy reforms in India, particularly educational reforms. In the analysis done using the concepts of formal political economy and rational choice, a series of dilemmas mark the working of existing policies—teacher accountability cannot be enforced due to teacher-politician linkages, patronage opportunities, and political power of unions. Educational decentralization and appointing para-teachers on contract is seen as one way of breaking the centralized power of teachers. It argues that this is a technical view to policy reforms—more grounded approaches are needed to understand the contested process of policy change, especially as they are implemented at the local level. It outlines the methodology by which schools, decentralization, teachers and their unions can be examined at the local level, and a ‘bottom-up’ view of policy implementation obtained. The research design enables viewing educational reform as a complex chain of policy decisions and its implementation, including both central and more local variables within the Indian federal system. Viewed in this manner the picture of change that emerges is that of an interactive and contested process.
