Citation

Newman J, Head B. J. Comp. Policy Anal. Res. Pract. 2017; 19(1): 40-53.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13876988.2015.1029334

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have always been dogged by problems that are so complex that no practical solution appears to be possible. These have been referred to in the academic literature as wicked problems. However, it is possible that a problem's wickedness depends in part on its context and on the vantage point of the observer, meaning that at least some aspects of wickedness can be thought of as being relative rather than absolute. In this article, the complex policy problem of gun control is examined across multiple national contexts to show how a problem that is perceived as being wicked in one jurisdiction can be seen as manageable in another.

Language: en