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A Nudge in the Right Direction? Towards a Sociological Engagement with Libertarian Paternalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2012

Patrick Brown
Patrick Brown*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam E-mail: P.R.Brown@uva.nl
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Abstract

Interventions framed through a behavioural lens, particularly ‘Nudge’, are gaining credence in US and UK policy circles, not least around healthcare. Key tenets of this ‘libertarian paternalist’ approach are discussed and related to sociological theory. The influential position of nudge begs sociological engagement, indeed its recognition of ‘choice architecture’ is partially congruent with sociological conceptions of structure-embedded agency. Though recognising the significance of norms, the analysis of nudge fails to appreciate their depth in terms of time, materiality and the socio-cultural. The potency and variable consequences of these social factors are emphasised through Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and field. This framework alongside various sociological approaches to risk and uncertainty are proposed as potentially fruitful paths of critical engagement.

Keywords

Agencybehavioural economicsnormsriskhabitus

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Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , July 2012 , pp. 305 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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