Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory
The field of public administration has grown accustomed to the presence of an identity crisis. In his opus, Dubnick (2018) addresses the existence of this crisis, noting where we are as a field and highlighting some of the debate that got us there. In response to Dubnick, I argue that our position a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Midwest Public Affairs Conference
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs |
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| Online Access: | http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/179 |
| _version_ | 1819207800248598528 |
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| author | Bruce D. McDonald, III |
| author_facet | Bruce D. McDonald, III |
| author_sort | Bruce D. McDonald, III |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The field of public administration has grown accustomed to the presence of an identity crisis. In his opus, Dubnick (2018) addresses the existence of this crisis, noting where we are as a field and highlighting some of the debate that got us there. In response to Dubnick, I argue that our position as a profession rather than a discipline relates to the failure of the field to pay attention to our history. Giving consideration to our history, we find that public administration as a discipline contains those who study public administration, and a profession or practice of those who are public administrators. As a field, the conversation should move beyond the study or the practice and accept the duality that is a sign a mature subject area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:29:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-697ba68d56d3472bb9592a8986e4f5fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2381-3717 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:29:15Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Midwest Public Affairs Conference |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-697ba68d56d3472bb9592a8986e4f5fd2022-12-21T17:58:31ZengMidwest Public Affairs ConferenceJournal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs2381-37172018-04-014111612010.20899/jpna.4.1.116-12072Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration TheoryBruce D. McDonald, III0North Carolina State UniversityThe field of public administration has grown accustomed to the presence of an identity crisis. In his opus, Dubnick (2018) addresses the existence of this crisis, noting where we are as a field and highlighting some of the debate that got us there. In response to Dubnick, I argue that our position as a profession rather than a discipline relates to the failure of the field to pay attention to our history. Giving consideration to our history, we find that public administration as a discipline contains those who study public administration, and a profession or practice of those who are public administrators. As a field, the conversation should move beyond the study or the practice and accept the duality that is a sign a mature subject area.http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/179Bureau of Municipal ResearchDisciplineProfessionPublic Administration Theory |
| spellingShingle | Bruce D. McDonald, III Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs Bureau of Municipal Research Discipline Profession Public Administration Theory |
| title | Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory |
| title_full | Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory |
| title_fullStr | Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory |
| title_short | Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory |
| title_sort | exorcising our demons comments on a new direction for public administration theory |
| topic | Bureau of Municipal Research Discipline Profession Public Administration Theory |
| url | http://www.jpna.org/index.php/jpna/article/view/179 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brucedmcdonaldiii exorcisingourdemonscommentsonanewdirectionforpublicadministrationtheory |