Are Cultural Differences Between Nations a Barrier to Cross-National Policy Learning?

Our presentation to the Second International Conference on Social Policy and Governance: Policy Learning and Policy Transfer, HKIED, Hong Kong, 6th-7th December 2013.

Abstract

Despite increasing attention recently paid to the role of culture within comparative welfare studies, empirical explorations of the impact of culture on social policy remain rare. One recent exception is Jo’s (2011) analysis of on an in-between level conception of culture based on the exploration of stable societal values using quantitative cross-national surveys of social values in high-income nations. In this paper we update and expand this framework by adding data from the most recent releases of the European Values Study and World Values Survey and by exploring a wider range of policy areas. Using this data along with data from international policy bodies such as the OECD we then move on to reflect how far cultural differences between nations not only explain policy differences, but may also be a barrier to cross-national policy learning.