“Dialogue: Knowledge and Research ,” with Peter Bogason, John J. Kirlin, Kenneth J. Meier, Janet Foley Orosz, Jos C. N. Raadschelders and Curtis Ventriss, in ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY AND PRAXIS, 22, no. 2 (June, 2000): pp. 393-423 (Dubnick comments pp. 393-397; 399-402; 407-408; 420-423).
Author’s Note:
This was an extended written exchange among colleagues in response to a paper I delivered at the 1999 APSA meetings, highly critical of the Public Administration field for abandoning its role as a social science. For the original paper, see “Demons, Spirits and Elephants”; the paper was eventually published in 2018.
AI-Generated Summary:
The document discusses the evolving identity, methodology, and community of public administration scholars, emphasizing the need for credible social science.
The Public Administration Community and Its Boundaries
- The community of public administration scholars is defined by participation in meetings, publications, and professional associations.
- Not all scholars studying public administration identify as Public Administrationists, often aligning with other disciplines.
- The community’s boundaries influence research focus, publication venues, and professional identity.
- There is debate over whether the community should include practitioners, interdisciplinary scholars, or be more exclusive.
Challenges to Public Administration’s Disciplinary Status
- Public administration faces a decline in perceived disciplinary status within social sciences.
- Mainstream social sciences often view public administration as professional, not scientific, limiting its credibility.
- The field’s historical rejection of social science status hampers its development and recognition.
- Scholars note a gap between public administration and other social sciences, affecting research quality and reputation.
Methodological Perspectives and Scientific Standards
- There is tension between positivist, post-positivist, and interpretive approaches in public administration research.
- Some scholars advocate for embracing diverse methods to produce credible, justifiable knowledge.
- The dominance of quantitative, statistical methods is seen as limiting and not representative of all valuable scholarship.
- The field needs to develop shared standards of credible scholarship that include qualitative and interpretive research.
The Role of Social Science and Interdisciplinarity
- Public administration is inherently multidisciplinary, drawing insights from political science, sociology, law, and economics.
- European scholars often see public administration as scholarship rather than a strict science.
- Cross-fertilization among disciplines enriches understanding of government and public policy.
- The field should balance theory and practice, integrating normative and empirical insights.
The Influence of Theoretical Foundations
- The debate between Waldo’s professional focus and Simon’s social science approach reflects core tensions.
- Simon’s emphasis on scientific inquiry and credible knowledge aligns with a broader social science identity.
- Waldo’s focus on normative, value-based understanding emphasizes the importance of ethics and interpretive analysis.
- The field must reconsider its epistemological foundations to enhance credibility and relevance.
The Role of Credible Scholarship and Standards
- Credible social science requires clear standards for knowledge justified through rigorous methods.
- The field should move beyond anti-positivist stances to include multiple valid approaches.
- Scholars advocate for a culture of critical inquiry where all research is scrutinized for assumptions and methods.
- Establishing shared standards will improve the quality and impact of public administration research.
The Future of Public Administration Research
- Public administration should re-engage with social sciences to regain disciplinary credibility.
- The field must embrace methodological pluralism and diverse epistemologies.
- There is a call for more empirical, normative, and interpretive research to address complex policy issues.
- Building a credible, interdisciplinary social science identity is essential for the field’s development.