Rather than trying to determine whether a policy is “good” or “bad,” my research explores why different groups experience the same institution differently. A regulation can mean protection to one person and uncertainty to another; a public service can build confidence in one place while revealing exclusion in another. I begin by following these differences across professions, generations, and countries. Interviews, observation, and comparative reading help me understand not just what people think, but what institutional conditions make those judgments plausible.