Michael D. Jones received his Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of Oklahoma. His
dissertation, titled Heroes and Villains: Cultural Narratives, Mass Opinions, and Climate
Change, empirically examines the role of narratively structured information in shaping
public perceptions about solutions to climate change. Following the line of research
began by his dissertation, he has recently co-authored an article titled “A Narrative
Policy Framework: Clear Enough to be Wrong?” in the Policy Studies Journal that details
how policy narratives can be empirically studied. Working in conjunction with the
Cultural Cognition Project at Yale, the narrative techniques developed in his
dissertation and theorized in the recent article are currently being applied to the study
of public opinion about gay and lesbian parenting. These narrative techniques will play a
central role in his research during his stay at the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for
Ethics, at Harvard University. During his fellowship at Harvard, Michael will again be
collaborating with the Cultural Cognition Project at Yale to examine the role of cultural
orientations and narrative communication in shaping mass opinion about campaign finance
reform.

Public Policy and Public Opinion: Trans-Subsystem Dynamics

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Trans-Subsystem Dynamics: Policy Topography, Mass Opinion, and Policy Change (with Hank C. Jenkins-smith), The Policy Studies Journal (2009)

We argue that the treatment of trans-subsystem change, and particularly the role of public opinion...

 

Policy Narratives and Policy Change

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Policy Narratives and Policy Processes (with Shanahan A. Elizabeth Dr. and McBeth K. Mark Dr.), Policy Studies Journal (2011)

The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) has influenced a generation of policy scholars with its emphasis...

 

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Heroes and Villains: Cultural Narratives, Mass Opinions, and Climate Change (2010)

Global climate change is easily identified as one of the most pressing and contentious policy...

 

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Narrative Policy Framework: Clear Enough to be Wrong? (with Mark K. McBeth), Policy Studies Journal (2010)

Narratives are increasingly subject to empirical study in a wide variety of disciplines. However, in...

 

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“The Science of Storytelling: Measuring Policy Beliefs in Greater Yellowstone” (with Mark K. McBeth and Elizabeth A. Shanahan), Society and Natural Resources (2005)

This study of Greater Yellowstone interest groups uses a mixed methodology that addresses methodological criticisms...

 

Cultural Theory

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Leading the Way to Compromise? Cultural Theory and Climate Change Opinion, PS: Political Science & Politics (2011)

Climate change is easily one of the most contentious policy problems facing the United States....