Reflexivity in global social policy: Introduction to the special issue

Abstract

This introduction sets the scene for the five papers of the special issue on ‘Reflexivity in Global Social Policy’. It argues that a reflexivity lens can deepen a self-critical assessment of the field and its boundaries, and contribute to more conceptual and analytical nuance. The introduction reviews existing approaches that reflect on the key building blocks of the field – ideas, terminology, and theory – and makes a case for addressing the porous boundaries between scholarship and practice. It subsequently suggests the two notions of perspectivity and performativity to inform further reflexive analyses, before introducing the five papers and five forum contributions that constitute this issue.