Action Theory in Practice
Toward Theory without Conspiracy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6362811 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bayard L Catron, Michael M Harmon (0000-0002-4384-337X) |
| Year | 1981 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 535-535 |
| Publication date | 1981-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Administration Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.2307/976264 |
| OpenAlex | W2314125728 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 14 |
| References cited | 1 |
Bernard Shaw once remarked that all professions are conspiracies against the laity. By conspiracy, Shaw meant the power of professions, by virtue of their exclusive roles in the creation and legitimation of specialized knowledge, to control or manipulate the presumed beneficiaries of that knowledge in the service of their (the professions') own ends. Public administration, since having attained professional status, is not exempt from this charge.' Witness the widespread reports of clients and others affected by public agencies feeling victimized and alienated by those whose official charge is to serve them. Far from mitigating such feelings, the increasing professionalization of public administration appears to have resulted in administrators being viewed by the public as having joined the ranks of more established conspirators such as lawyers, physicians, psychiatrists, and educators. A plausible explanation for the accusations of conspiracy by public administrators may be inferred from a recent paper by Robert Biller. Biller argues that professional administrators, by virtue of their education and organizational experience, typically bring to bear a particular mind set in the solution to client problems that is directly at odds with problems as defined by the clients
Action (physics · Action theory (sociology · Epistemology · Physics · Practice theory · Quantum mechanics · Sociology · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Legal Education and Practice Innovations · Philosophy · Public Policy and Administration Research
Duda y realidad
Do not cry wolf until you are sure
ATP Intergenerational Symposium Response from Margaret Stout
Internet's impact on expert–citizen interactions in public policymaking—A meta analysis
Rise and Fall of a Professional Ideal
"What do we Mean When we Say "Professionalism
Research Methodology in the "Public Administration Review," 1975-1984
Extending the Present Understanding of Organizational Sensemaking
Action Theory and Literary Interpretation
Phenomenology in Public Administration
The Intellectual Crisis in Public Administration in the Current Epoch of Privatization
Assessing Desegregation Efforts
Public Sociology or Partisan Sociology? The Curious Case of Whiteness Studies
Bridging the theory-practice divide in public administration
| Citations per year | 0.32 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1982 - 2025 (44) |
| Highly cited | No |