The Social Construction of Public Administration: Interpretive and Critical Perspectives(SUNY series in Public Administration)

Challenges the limitations of modern public administration theories.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Frank P. Sherwood Preface 1. Introduction The Limitations of Modern Public Administration Social Construction in a Democratic Context Dialectical Possibilities Learning from a Cross-Cultural Perspective The Orientation of this Book 2. The Changing Context of Public Administration Unanticipated Consequences in the Twentieth Century Lessons for the New Century Reinterpreting the Meaning of Public Administration Dialectic in Administrative Action Conclusion 3. The Social Constructionist Approach The Limitations of the Functionalist Perspective The Interpretive Critical Theory, and Postmodern Perspectives Theorizing the Social Constructionist Approach Globalization as Social Construction Reflection 4. Public Administration as Social Design The Use and Abuse of Metaphor Design: A Basic Concept Administrative Science, Art, and Social Design The Modes of Administrative and Policy Design Conclusion 5 Social Design in Practice Coproduction and Community Policing Bridging the Digital Divide in Silicon Valley Helping Homelessness Designing the Public Transit System The Clinton Health Care Reform Plan: From Social Design to Incrementalism The Limits of Social Design Conclusion 6. Understanding Action, Praxis, and Change The Dialectic of Organizational Action Praxis and Change The Praxis-Oriented Administrators Changing Organizations and Action Research Conclusion 7. The Self in Social Construction Social Construction of the Self: Eastern and Western Views The Self and Sociality: Western Views Postmodern Views of the Self Implications of Eastern and Western Views The Self-Reflexive Individual in a Social Context The Self and Bureaucracy Conclusion 8. The Social Construction of Ethical Responsibility The Ethical Dilemma of the Responsible Administrator Constructing Ethics in Organizations A Public Conception of Autonomy: Confucian and Western Views Civic Virtue and the Public Good Connecting Administrators and Citizens Conclusion 9. Civil Society, Governance, and Its Potential The Civil Society Triangle: A New Form of Governance From Hierarchical Governing to Democratic Governance NGOs as a Force for Social Change A Case of Local Governance: Resolving the Soup Kitchen Controversy Designing Modern Development Projects Globalization and Democratization: A Contradiction Implications 10. Concluding Thoughts Recapitulation Making Social Construction Effective The Tao of Public Administration Notes References Index

About the Author :
Jong S. Jun is Professor Emeritus of Public Administration at California State University at East Bay. He has published many books, including Rethinking Administrative Theory: The Challenge of the New Century.

Review :
"This well-written and comprehensive book tackles the scope of the field of public administration within the context of globalization and of new governance. It provides a fully developed alternative concept of public administration from an interpretive and critical perspective."