Postmodern Public PolicyPostmodern Public Policy introduces new ways of investigating the urgent difficulties confronting the public sector. The second half of the twentieth century saw approaches to public administration, public policy, and public management dominated by technical-instrumental thought that aspired to neutrality, objectivity, and managerialism. This form of social science has contributed to a public sector where policy debates have been reduced to "bumper-sticker" slogans, a citizenry largely alienated and distant from government, and analysis that ignores history and context and eschews the lived experiences of actual people. Hugh T. Miller brings together the latest thinking from epistemology, evolutionary theory, and discourse theory in an accessible and useful manner to emphasize how a postmodern approach offers the possibility of well-considered, pragmatic solutions grounded in political pluralism and social interaction between public service professionals and community members. |
Contents
The System and its Nemesis | 1 |
The Mutation of Meaning 21 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 | 21 |
Idea Contagion | 33 |
Contextualism | 51 |
Policy Inquiry | 65 |
Democratic Discourse | 87 |
| 105 | |
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abstract accommodation action actually approach aspiration Baudrillard become behavior belief bounded rationality bureaucracy chapter citizen governance claims coherent concept context contingency cultural expressions David Irving debate decision detached drugs efficiency enacted ence environment epistemology ethic everyday evolutionary example facts Fox and Miller genes historical human ideas impasse instrumental rationality intentionality interpret knowledge language legal-rational culture lived experience logic logical positivism managerialism manipulation Max Weber memeplexes memes memetics metanarrative monism mutation of meaning neutral Nietzsche nomothetic norms noumena objective reality observer organizations particular pattern performance budgeting perhaps perspective pluralism policy discourse policy inquiry policy research political postmodern principles privatization problem problematic public administration public discourse public policy replication rules scientists self-referential simply situation social Darwinism social practices social science society sort symbols theory things tion tradition understanding Walter Kaufmann war on drugs Weber Wingdings words