The conversation of the host of the Political Science Podcast Enes Kulenović with the Croatian political scientist and scientific returnee from the USA Dagmar Radin focused on three topics. The first part of the conversation focused on the position of women in the Croatian health system. Radin pointed out the problems of institutional and social practices that contribute to inequality and hinted the possibility of reformist action through institutions that would contribute to greater equality between men and women. Italy and Finland were highlighted as comparative points of comparison to the situation in Croatia. In the second part of the conversation, Radin claimed that the experience of the Croatian medical system in the Homeland War prompted a good initial response to the pandemic challenge. However, after coping with the crisis in the first half of the year of the pandemic, Radin pointed out the poorer continuation of the pandemic management, which neglected the mental health of medical workers and the entire nation. In the last part of the conversation, Kulenović and Radin brought up the problem of usable knowledge of social sciences for public policies, one that would enter the very discourse of decision-making. Instead of boldly questioning major social problems in the tradition of Harold Lasswell, in political science and public policy Radin identified the problem of methodologically correct (especially quantitative) papers and studies that are formally fine but lack a sense of relevant problems, breadth and understanding, and therefore, their reach is modest.
The episode can be listened to on Anchor.fm, HPD's YouTube channel or at Spotify:
