Upholding the myth of best practice policies: epistemic practice and rendering space technical in a European Commission expert group

Seminari AGAPP (IGOP) -en anglès-
30/04/2019 – 13h
Edifici MRA, 1a planta.
Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra


Natalie Papastasiou

Natalie Papanastasiou is a postdoctoral researcher of public policy and governance. Her interests include exploring policymaking practices, the development of ‘best practice’ knowledge, the relationship between politics and space, and the politics of education policy.

She has studied education policy and governance in local, national and European contexts. She studies the multi-scalar dynamics that contribute to the making of education policies by drawing on theories from public policy, public administration, and political geography. I practice and teach qualitative methodology, including interviews and ethnographic observation.

Her publications feature in journals including Public Administration, Environment and Planning A, Journal of Education Policy and Critical Policy Studies, and I have a forthcoming book entitled The Politics of Scale in Policy: scalecraft and education governance (Bristol: Policy Press, 2019).  Her current work is funded by a research grant awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and has previously been awarded funding by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) and the Leverhulme Trust.