The logic of research in public administration, argues White, may be more like that of storytelling than of conventional social science research. In this text, he examines the linguistic, discursive and narrative foundations of public administration research and develops a narrative theory of knowledge development and use for the field. White builds his case for this narrative theory by showing how research on complex problems is grounded in language and discourse. He then explains how a variety of developments in philosophy and the humanities - positivism, postpositivism, hermeneutics, critical and legal theory, postmodernism and poststructuralism - can contribute to our understanding of public administration research.
Preface 1. A Narrative Theory of Knowledge for Public Administration Research Knowledge as Storytelling The Nature of the ArgumentsA Few Words about PositivismA Preview 2. Knowledge as Storytelling, Interpretation, and Critique Applied Research as StorytellingPublic Administration's Dissatisfaction with ExplanationWhat Is Going on in Other Fields?A Turn to Interpretation?Critical ResearchSummary 3. Three Modes of Research Explanatory ResearchInterpretive ResearchCritical ResearchFoundationsSummary 4. Administrative and Legal Reasoning: Understanding Explanatory, Interpretive, and Critical Rationality Instrumental ReasoningThe Structural Limits of the Rational ModelLegal ReasoningInterpretive and Critical ReasoningImplications for Knowledge Development and UseSummary 5. From Positivism to Postpositivism: The Linguistic Turn in the Philosophy of Science Philosophy and ScienceThe Cartesian AnxietyThe Myth of the GivenThe Correspondence Theory of TruthThe Critique of ExplanationThe Critique of InterpretationThe Linguistic Foundation of KnowledgeThe Practical Rationality of Theory ChoiceSummary6. The Action Movement in Administrative Research: Examples of Interpretive and Critical Research Action TheoryA Case Study of Action TheoryAction ResearchAction ScienceSummary 7. Social Action, Administrative Research, and Literary Interpretation: The Logic of Interpretation and Critique Literary InterpretationPositions in InterpretationThe Relevance of the Author or ActorMeaning and SignificanceThe Canons of InterpretationCriteria for ValidationSummary: A Melding of Genres 8. Taking Language Seriously: Some Postmodern Themes The Loss of Grand NarrativesKnowledge and the Linguistic Basis of Local NarrativesPoststructuralismKnowledge as ConversationThe Local Narratives of Public AdministrationImplications 9. Language, Discourse, and Rationality: The Foundations of a Narrative Theory of Knowledge References Index
