Cheryl Simrell King

Talking Beyond the Rational

Although discourse theorists have deconstructed Western rationality and rejected objectivism and analytical means, the critique of the rational in discourse theories often does not go far enough. Discourse theories that remain wedded to instrumental action (good means ensure good ends) and continue to ignore the nonrational (emotions, bias, ideology, money, or power) do not offer a vision of public space that is open and inclusive. An alternative theoretical perspective of associational discursive space is offered here, a perspective grounded in feminist ethics and in a reformulation of Hannah Arendt’s notion of agonistic tension. In associational discursive space, storytelling and narrative theory substitute for rational argumentation and rational theory and allow us to talk with one another beyond the rational.

The “T”ruth Is Elsewhere: Critical History

Abstract This essay begins by deconstructing the basic question of how the present is defined in traditional historical explanation or analysis. It is our contention that to “rewrite” the present, one must be critical, examining the assumptions and methods behind historical “data” to identify what might be missed-whose stories are silenced-when theorists rely upon only the “great stories” of past events or “great men,” and to reveal metanarratives of history that support dominant regimes, hegemonies, and power structures. We then examine theoretical approaches to the use of theory, pointing out examples relevant to public administration.

MPA Alumni Assessment of Perceived Educational Outcomes: The "Value" of the MPA

Although there is some agreement in the public administration education community about the goals and purposes of graduate work in public administration, there appears to be significant disagreement as to how we go about meeting these goals. This disagreement is manifested in the myriad of NASPAA accredited and affiliated programs with apparently different program foci, ideologies, and values. The convenience study reported here involved surveying alumni from two seemingly disparate MPA programs in order to compare alumni perceptions of their programs. Although the rhetoric of the programs would lead one to think that the alumnis program experiences would be very different, these two groups were more similar than expected with regard to their perceptions about what is important in their careers and how a MPA program can contribute to their careers. Implications for educational strategies of MPA programs are discussed.

Introduction: Still Enthralled with Modernity? Toward Postrationalist Discourse Theories

Although much of Amer i can pub lic admin is tra tion the ory remains grounded in the ratio nal tra di tion, antirationalist the ory streams have always existed at the mar gins of Amer i can pub lic admin is tra tion the ory. The ante ced ents of con tem po rary antirationalism can be found in the anti-Fed er al ist per spec tives at the found ing, the Pop u list move ment at the turn of the 20th cen tury, among the Prag ma tists of early 20th cen tury, and in the New Pub lic Admin is tra tion move ment (McSwite, 1997). Con tem po rary antirationalism is best artic u lated in postmodern pub lic admin is tra tion the ory. Sev eral schol ars in the pub lic admin is tra tion the ory com mu nity, spe cif i cally Fox and Miller (1995), Farmer (1995), and McSwite (1997), have raised our con scious ness about the postmodern con di tion and brought to our atten tion the lim i ta tions of mod ern ist the o ries. Although postmod ern schol ars dif fer in the extent to which they advance cri tiques of ratio nal ism, they share a “cen tral com mit ment to dis course. . . . Given the lim ited nature of con scious ness, [dis course the o rists believe] answers to all types of ques tions are best found through dis course rather than through ‘ob jec tive’ empir i cal mea sure ment and ratio nal anal y sis” (McSwite, 1998, p. 377). The arti cles in this sym po sium exam ine the antirationalist per spec tives of postmodern dis course the o ries. Our start ing point, in par tic u lar, is Fox and

Circa 1999: The Possibilities for Community and Democracy

AbstractThere is a large movement in contemporary public administration and political science calling for a return to civic democracy and for the democratizing of public administration. What is assumed in these calls to civic democracy is that civic community and active, discursive citizenship are possible in the current political economy. It is argued here that the possibilities for citizenship and community are significantly constrained in the current corporatized, consumption-based U. S. political economy. Late 2th century individualistic consumerism has wrought a political economy that is devoid of care and love. Community and citizenship in a corporatized, consumption-based political economy need care and love to correct the imbalance between the “I” and the “We” that is at the heart of contemporary problems of governance and citizenship.