Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance

Contemporary social science research concerning governance tends to take an institutional perspective that privileges structural analysis. The resulting body of literature has an emphasis on classification, typologies and regimes. This approach has been criticized on the basis that it neglects the r...

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Main Author: Rachel Robinson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2016-02-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/5/1/9
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author Rachel Robinson
author_facet Rachel Robinson
author_sort Rachel Robinson
collection DOAJ
description Contemporary social science research concerning governance tends to take an institutional perspective that privileges structural analysis. The resulting body of literature has an emphasis on classification, typologies and regimes. This approach has been criticized on the basis that it neglects the role of agency and context when research concerns complex and heterogeneous community governance cases. An emerging literature on hybridity in social services aims to address the limitations of structural accounts by acknowledging that diverse logics, ideas, and norms influence the way community based social services resist or adapt in turbulent policy environments. This article considers the strengths and limitations of hybridity in development of a research framework incorporating structure, agency and ideas. The relevance of hybridity theory for the Kids in Communities study—an Australian research project investigating neighborhood influences on child development across multiple case study sites—is evaluated.
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spelling doaj.art-ce41a1008ab448ada38a485aa90873242022-12-21T19:41:00ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602016-02-0151910.3390/socsci5010009socsci5010009Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood GovernanceRachel Robinson0School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaContemporary social science research concerning governance tends to take an institutional perspective that privileges structural analysis. The resulting body of literature has an emphasis on classification, typologies and regimes. This approach has been criticized on the basis that it neglects the role of agency and context when research concerns complex and heterogeneous community governance cases. An emerging literature on hybridity in social services aims to address the limitations of structural accounts by acknowledging that diverse logics, ideas, and norms influence the way community based social services resist or adapt in turbulent policy environments. This article considers the strengths and limitations of hybridity in development of a research framework incorporating structure, agency and ideas. The relevance of hybridity theory for the Kids in Communities study—an Australian research project investigating neighborhood influences on child development across multiple case study sites—is evaluated.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/5/1/9governancehybridityearly childhoodsocial services
spellingShingle Rachel Robinson
Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
Social Sciences
governance
hybridity
early childhood
social services
title Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
title_full Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
title_fullStr Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
title_full_unstemmed Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
title_short Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance
title_sort hybridity a theory of agency in early childhood governance
topic governance
hybridity
early childhood
social services
url http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/5/1/9
work_keys_str_mv AT rachelrobinson hybridityatheoryofagencyinearlychildhoodgovernance