Theory plays a significant role in all academic disciplines and is essential for both theoretical and empirical research. According to Patton (2018), theory is not only a belief system but is a way to demonstrate how the world is organized. In general, the goal of a majority of research works is to test a theory (Patton, 2018). For example, deductive research aims to apply a particular part of the theory in the real world. On the other hand, inductive research starts with data collection and ends with the formulation of a theory (Babbie, 2017). Therefore, in any study, theory serves as the perspective from which one explores the world.
In public policy, theory explains various viewpoints on how society is organized and what defines social behavior. An example of a theoretical framework in this academic area is institutional theory. According to this conception, schemes, rules, and beliefs are what controls people’s behavior. For example, it suggests the central role of law and structure and focuses on both formal institutional rules and individual actors’ roles (Peters, 2019). Answering Burkholder and Burbank’s (2020) question, it is possible to say that to accept this theory, one should believe that humans’ behavior is controlled by rules. Moreover, this theory implies that institutional power is what defines social norms and the way society is organized.
The theory that attracts a researcher’s attention generally reflects their beliefs. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the underlying assumptions of the theory and compare them to personal worldviews (Burkholder et al., 2020). The major ideas of the mentioned theory of institutionalism are that institutions are considered the regulative force of society. Moreover, the norms they dictate contribute to providing social stability. I can say that these assumptions reflect my philosophical perspective. I believe that human behavior is mainly regulated by various norms established by the government, local authorities, or other institutions. Otherwise, the poor control over people’s actions would make society chaotic and disorganized. Rules, such as traffic regulations and governmental laws, establish social equality and harmony. Therefore, this theory can be considered my personal perspective of viewing public policy and society.
References
Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J.H. (Eds.) (2020). Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Patton, M.Q. (2018). Theory [Interview]. Laureate Education.
Peters, B.G. (2019). Institutional theory in political science: the new institutionalism (4th ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing.