Critical social theory in public administration / Richard C. Box.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Box, Richard C.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public administration--Philosophy.

Public administration.

Critical theory.

Frankfurt school of sociology.

Physical Description:

163 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Armonk, N.Y. : M.E. Sharpe, [2005]

Contents:

A Particular Form of Critical Social Theory 5

The Critical Social Theory Framework 11

1 Critical Imagination in a Postmodern Environment 14

Critical Social Theory 15

Contradiction, Dialectic, and Change 16

Critical Reason and Imagination 17

Emancipation and Self-determination 19

Critical Theory in Public Administration 21

The Need for Critical Theory Today 24

Pragmatism and Phantasy 26

Conclusion: A Critical Revival? 30

2 Contradiction, Utopia, and Public Administration 32

Contradiction and Containment 35

Democracy 38

The Warfare State 41

Research 43

Gender 45

Refusal and Utopia 47

3 The "T"ruth Is Elsewhere: Critical History 49

Deconstructing History 51

Redefining/Rediscovering History 54

Recoverable Elements 56

Emancipation 57

Social Hope 59

Critical Public Administration Scholarship 62

"Clio at the Crossroads": Writing Critical History 64

4 Critical Theory and the Paradox of Discourse 69

Values Underlying the Models 71

The Legitimacy Model 71

The Critical Theory Model 73

The Relationship Between the Powerful and the Governed 75

The Literature of Community Power 75

The Growth Machine 76

"Four Cities" 78

Diversity in Community Orientation 79

Discourse Effectiveness 81

Discourse Legitimacy 81

Involvement in Discourse 82

Outcomes of Administrator-Citizen Interaction 83

Conditions Conducive to Discourse 85

Conclusion: The Practical Application of Critical Theory 87

5 Pragmatic Discourse and Administrative Legitimacy 89

The Limits of Theory 95

The Usefulness of Pragmatism 97

Collaboration and Critical Thought 101

Conclusion: Administrative Legitimacy 105

6 Private Lives and Antiadministration 109

Daily Human Interests 111

Geography 112

Neighborhoods 113

Political Economy 114

Materiality 116

Citizenship and Private Lives 118

Imagination 121

7 Critical Practice and the Problem of Finding a Public 126

The Elusive Public 127

Critical Theory and the Community Context 134

The Purpose of Critical Practice 140.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-156) and index.

ISBN:

0765615541

OCLC:

54542938