David T. Takeuchi, Ph.D.
School of Social Work, Boston College
Presented at the State of Women’s Health in Massachusetts
May 14, 2015
If you put oil and vinegar in the same vessel
you would call them not friends but
opponents
- Aeschylus (Agamemnon)
Images of Science and Policy
 Science: Discovery/knowledge (as the goal),
technical, iterative, methodical (replication,
validation), value-free, nuanced
 Policy: Change (as the goal), action, immediacy or
urgency
Comments about Science and Policy
 Science: Slow, repetitive, study the obvious, pointless
(the “so what question”), wishy-washy, unable to take
a stand
 Policy: Not evidence-based, biased, politics and not
evidence drives policy, assumes people behave for the
same reason, emotional
Images and Comments Can Create
Boundaries
Science
Policy
Boundary Work of Policy and
Science
 Socially constructed
 Makes attribution of selected characteristics to the
institution of science
 its practitioners
 its methods
 stock of knowledge or lack of knowledge
 values and work organization
 Attempts to distinguish itself from each other
Gieyrn, Thomas. 1983. American Sociological Review
Blurring (Emulsifying) Boundaries
 Create incentives to blur
 Create mechanisms to blur
 Establish environments that help blur
Opportunity to Blur the Boundaries
 Strong research and policy faculty
 Environment ready and supportive
 Establish networks that are receptive to research
and policy
 Establish key people and organizations to worry
about these issues
Creating a Shared Space
Science
Policy
Some Possibilities to Blur
Boundaries
 Joint research-policy briefs
 Discussions among researchers, policy makers, and
practitioners to identify opportunities
 Form research-policy body to share ideas about
both policy and research
 Develop lexicon that fits within this translational
space
We are like oil and vinegar most of the time.
But when you shake us up real good, the
combination is heavenly.
--- Janet Chapman
(Or you can add a emulsifier)