Professor Hendrik Wagenaar
Since I retired from the University of Sheffield in 2017, I have been Senior Academic Advisor at the International School for Government at King’s College London, Adjunct Professor at the Center for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra, and Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna. My primary residence is in Vienna, Austria.
My research and writing cover: citizen participation and the commons, Deliberative Policy Analysis, practice theory, and interpretive methodology in the social sciences.
Citizen Participation and the Commons
This is an empirical-theoretical project that focuses on the emergence of civic enterprises in the fragmented and privatized administrative landscape of western societies. I am interested in how civic enterprises can enhance the franchise, scope and authenticity of our democracy. As democracy cannot be seen apart from the economic order, I am developing a political economy of citizen participation. In this respect, I study commons as an alternative form of associative social-political-economic organization that is fit for an era that grapples with catastrophic climate change, corporate hegemony, and stubborn social injustice. Together with the citizens and social entrepreneurs of the Ru Paré Community in Slotervaart, Amsterdam, we are developing a commons in a densely populated, low income, urban neighborhood.
Rethinking Deliberative Policy Analysis
Following the publication in 2003 of our widely cited book Deliberative Policy Analysis, I have been reframing Deliberative Policy Analysis as governing for complexity. Complexity theory states the world is essentially unpredictable and indeterminate, which creates obvious challenges for public policy and public administration. I am exploring methodologies for Deliberative Policy Analysis and deepening its theoretical, in particular its pragmatist, background.
Developing and Applying Practice Theory
Practice theory posits that reality, and our knowledge of it, emerge from our practical engagement with the world. It has been a long-standing project of mine to explore what practice theory means for governance and public administration.
Teaching and Learning of Interpretive Methods
With my colleague Koen Bartels, I use experiential learning theory to redesign the Teaching and Learning of Interpretive Methods. Experiential learning theory places the student’s experience at the center of the process of learning and teaching. We articulate what this means for the design of methodology instruction.
What I’m working on
I am very pleased that our upcoming book Bartels, K. and Wagenaar, H. (2025) Doing Interpretive Research: Learning and Teaching Imagination in Social Research, Oxford: Oxford University Press, is now in production. We expect publication in the Spring of 2025.
On Thursday June 6 I had a succesful colloquium at the Wissenschatskolleg zu Berlin. I presented work from the first two chapters of the book on (policy) practice that I am writing with Simon West. Jean Hébrard, distinguished historian, gave a gracious, personal introduction drawing upon his experiences as a political manager when he was advisor to Prime Minister Michel Rocard, Minister of Education and Culture Jack Lang, and later Inspector General for National Education: https://history.jhu.edu/directory/jean-hebrard/.
Our book Doing Interpretive Research. Learning and Teaching Imagination in Social Research (Koen Bartels and Hendrik Wagenaar) has been submitted to Oxford University Press. In this book we use the experiential learning approach as our window upon didactics. The book develops the argument of our 2018 article “Doubt and Excitement: An Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching the Practice of Qualitative Research” in Qualitative Research
After 2 years of work our special issue of the International Journal of the Commons, “Advancing the Commonsverse: The Political Economy of the Commons’ has been published (OA). Here is a link to the articles: https://thecommonsjournal.org/collections/advancingthecommonverse
The special issue centers on the work of David Bollier and Silke Helfrich. It has an extensive Introduction by the editors (H. Wagenaar and K. Bartels), and contributions by Antonio Vesco & Sandro Busso, Manuela Zechner, Marina Pera & Sonia Bussu, Liz Richardson, Catherine Durose a.0, Roy Heidelberg, and Koen Bartels. David Bollier wrote a concluding essay in which he reflects on the various contributions and singles out various issues for a future program of commons research and activism, such as: the potential of commons/public partnerships, new infrastructures to make commoning easier, legal hacks to open up zones of commoning, the potential of relationalized finance, and new institutional structures of care.
The special issue is dedicated to the commons scholar and activist Silke Helfrich who tragically died in October 2022. Her energy and creativity are sorely missed.
On Sunday 10/12/2023 I presented my book on Dutch and Belgian art of the first half of the 2oth century (in Dutch) at Gallery Peter ter Braak in Groningen. My friend and former owner of the art dealership where I began my collection, Rijn ter Braak, received the first copy. Writing the book was a labor of love for the exquisite and sometimes stunning work of the artists of this period. The book is also an hommage to Rijn and his vision of opening up a hitherto hidden corner of art history. You can find more information about the book on: https://hendrikwagenaar.com/publications. If you’re interested in buying the book: https://peterterbraak.nl/site/index.php/verzamelkunst-galerieterbraak
Since Sept 15, 2024 Barbara Prainsack and I are living and working at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. (https://www.wiko-berlin.de) We are honoured and excited about this unique opportunity. We are both working on our respective projects. I work on a book on practice theory building on a number of articles and book chapters I published between 2010 and 2015. Keep an eye on this part of my website for further news and developments regarding our time at Wik0
I am very excited that my chapter “The Democratic Multiverse: Governance, Associations, and the Prospects for Progressive Democratic renewal” has been published. It is part of the important edited volume on democracy-driven governance by the incomparable Adrian Bua and Sonia Bussu. (Reclaiming Participatory Governance, Routledge 2023) Working with them on this project was an enormously rewarding experience.
My chapter “Deliberative Policy Analysis” has been published in S. Ercan, H. Asenbaum, N. Curato and R.F. Mendoça (eds.) Research Method in Deliberative Democracy, Oxford University Press. If you want to know what has happened in Deliberative Policy Analysis since the publication of 2003 Hajer and Wagenaar book, read my chapter.