Indicators: tools for informing, monitoring or controlling?

Lehtonen, Markku

doi:10.4337/9781783477043.00015

Cited by 28 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…This paper deconstructs and examines the process leading to the creation of the system of measurement of integration in Switzerland. In line with Lehtonen (2015), we show how the process of inventing indicators, in order to gain legitimacy, must project an image of exactitude and scientific neutrality to inform public opinion and influence collective categorization. However, indicators are data and information reshaped under a concealed conceptual framework (Gudmundsson 2003, Lehtonen 2015.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…In line with Lehtonen (2015), we show how the process of inventing indicators, in order to gain legitimacy, must project an image of exactitude and scientific neutrality to inform public opinion and influence collective categorization. However, indicators are data and information reshaped under a concealed conceptual framework (Gudmundsson 2003, Lehtonen 2015. For this reason, we examine this set of indicators by placing them in their institutional, historical, political and discursive contexts in order to shed light on their conceptual construction.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…However, to date, a scientific scrutiny of these indicators has not yet been conducted. Moreover, several authors have pointed out that, in general, research on indicators often focuses on the methodological and technical aspects of indicators and seldom accounts for the conceptual logics that structure them (Gudmundsson 2003, Lehtonen 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Depoliticizing integration through statistical indicators

Akin

Banfi

2019

Journal of Political Power

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� The concept of integration plays an increasingly important role in Western societies, which is accompanied by a similar increase in statistical indicators designed to measure the policies that shape integration. In this paper, we critically examine one such system of measurement: the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics' Indicators of Integration. We use an interpretative methodology to analyse the political and conceptual construction of a quantitative policy-tool. As such, we provide an innovative and theory-based approach to analysing statistical policy-tools more widely.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Depoliticizing integration through statistical indicators

Akin

Banfi

2019

Journal of Political Power

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“…While there is a general impression that indicators reflect reality and are 'neutral', assumptions embedded in underlying conceptual frameworks remain hidden. Especially when indicators are developed by experts alone the process can be opaque, not allowing for stakeholder-input [38,40]. Without transparency on the construction of indicators, they have the potential to become a tool of control to the already powerful, rather than empower all stakeholders.…”

Section: An Integrated Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security of the EU Food System—An Integrated Approach

et al. 2018

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Steering the EU food system towards a sustainability transformation requires a vast and actionable knowledge base available to a range of public and private actors. Few have captured this complexity by assessing food systems from a multi-dimensional and multi-level perspective, which would include (1) nutrition and diet, environmental and economic outcomes together with social equity dimensions and (2) system interactions across country, EU and global scales. This paper addresses this gap in food systems research and science communication by providing an integrated analytical approach and new ways to communicate this complexity outside science. Based on a transdisciplinary science approach with continuous stakeholder input, the EU Horizon2020 project 'Metrics, Models and Foresight for European SUStainable Food And Nutrition Security' (SUSFANS) developed a five-step process: Creating a participatory space; designing a conceptual framework of the EU food system; developing food system performance metrics; designing a modelling toolbox and developing a visualization tool. The Sustainable Food and Nutrition-Visualizer, designed to communicate complex policy change-impacts and trade-off questions, enables an informed debate about trade-offs associated with options for change among food system actors as well as in the policy making arena. The discussion highlights points for further research related to indicator development, reach of assessment models, participatory processes and obstacles in science communication.

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“…In the problem stream, the impulse‐giving element has traditionally been a focusing event (Birkland, ) or an incident with a large impact on public opinion (Zahariadis, ). However, Kingdon () has also contemplated less “extreme” events, such as changes in indicators, can function as triggers (see Lehtonen, ). Sager and Rielle (), for example, conceptualize the problem stream in their study about the adoption of alcohol policy programs by measuring the amount of people who drink alcohol more than once a day and interpreted this as the actual problem pressure.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Driving the Promotion of Hydroelectricity: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Kammermann

2017

Review of Policy Research

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In the wake of the COP21 conference in Paris, the transition to a low-carbon energy supply remains a central issue on the political agenda. The deployment of renewable energies is often challenged by multiple issues (e.g., public acceptance, landscape protection, and so forth). Political actors try to overcome such challenges with various measures; however, the policy instruments used vary greatly in their strength. This article questions what factors lead to the adoption of strong policy instruments promoting hydroelectricity. Explanatory factors are derived from Kingdon's multiple streams framework and are analyzed with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis within the Swiss cantons. The findings show that the strength of policy promoting hydroelectricity depends on the conjunction of mainly two factors: ambitious climate targets and an already well-established hydroelectricity sector that generates large tax revenues for the cantons. Depending on the context, the strength of left-wing and green parties as well as the current level of exploitation play an important role with the aforementioned factors.

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Indicators: tools for informing, monitoring or controlling?

Cited by 28 publications

References 31 publications

Depoliticizing integration through statistical indicators

Depoliticizing integration through statistical indicators

Assessing Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security of the EU Food System—An Integrated Approach

Factors Driving the Promotion of Hydroelectricity: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis

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