Thesis advisor: Kathleen McInnis-Dittrich / The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of decision-making in formulating anti-poverty policies in Palestine. Particularly, this study was concerned with exploring the key decision makers, their roles, and how the power relationship among them influences the process of formulating anti-poverty policies. In addition, this study was intended to investigate the knowledge about the dynamics of decision making within the Palestinian National Authority (PNA): how actual decisions are made about anti-poverty policies and who is making decisions. Moreover, the scope of this study also included how the unique economic, social, and political contexts of Palestine influence the process of formulating anti-poverty policies. Further, this study explored how anti-poverty policies impact the lives of everyday poor Palestinians. This study utilized political theories, colonialism theory, and hegemony theory, to understand the external factors that affect the formulation of anti-poverty policies. Also, it used public policy theories, elitism, pluralism, and bounded rationality theory, to explore how anti-poverty policies are made and who made such policies in Palestine. This study employed a qualitative approach with a social constructivist paradigm of inquiry. This case study focused on two major sites that are responsible for formulating social policies in Palestine: the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) and the Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development (MOPAD) in Ramallah. The findings of this study indicated that significant changes have occurred as regards who the key decision makers are and what roles they play in the formulation of anti-poverty policies. In analyzing the power relationship among the key decision makers, the findings showed that although the PNA has increased its control over the decision-making process, the international donor agencies continue to significantly influence this process. The data also revealed that unlike the models of policy making in democratic countries (such as elitism or pluralism), the approach to developing anti-poverty policies in Palestine reflects the participatory model. Consistent with the theory of bounded rationality, the findings revealed that anti-poverty policies have been made with financial, material, political, and other limitations. Implications for formulating anti-poverty policies and for future research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_101663 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Safadi, Najwa Sado |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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