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All You need is ... a network: the rise of interpretive public administration

All You need is ... a network: the rise of interpretive public administration
All You need is ... a network: the rise of interpretive public administration
For this 100th Anniversary issue of Public Administration, we review one of the more distinctive trends in the study of public administration – the rise of the interpretive approach. We tie interpretivism to an anti-naturalist historicism and humanism in contrast to the formalism and scientism of mainstream public administration. We review developments in Britain, Western Europe, and the USA, concluding there is a divide between the empiricist Anglo-Saxon approaches and Continental interpretive and critical approaches. We summarise Bevir and Rhodes' decentred approach with its focus on traditions, beliefs, practices, and dilemmas. We highlight its distinctive features compared with other interpretive approaches. We suggest the interpretive approach could develop further by blurring genres and practising bricolage. We conclude that interpretivism thrives in Britain and Continental Europe because there are established networks behind which lies the nineteenth century European tradition of hermeneutics and idealism.
Interpretive theory, Continental Europe, Interpretive policy analysis, public administration, Bevir & Rhodes
0033-3298
149–160
Rhodes, R. A. W.
cdbfb699-ba1a-4ff0-ba2c-060626f72948
Bevir, Mark
2614661c-fd6d-4085-9a1e-51d43c0ac512
Rhodes, R. A. W.
cdbfb699-ba1a-4ff0-ba2c-060626f72948
Bevir, Mark
2614661c-fd6d-4085-9a1e-51d43c0ac512

Rhodes, R. A. W. and Bevir, Mark (2022) All You need is ... a network: the rise of interpretive public administration. Public Administration, 100 (1), 149–160, [100 (1)].

Record type: Article

Abstract

For this 100th Anniversary issue of Public Administration, we review one of the more distinctive trends in the study of public administration – the rise of the interpretive approach. We tie interpretivism to an anti-naturalist historicism and humanism in contrast to the formalism and scientism of mainstream public administration. We review developments in Britain, Western Europe, and the USA, concluding there is a divide between the empiricist Anglo-Saxon approaches and Continental interpretive and critical approaches. We summarise Bevir and Rhodes' decentred approach with its focus on traditions, beliefs, practices, and dilemmas. We highlight its distinctive features compared with other interpretive approaches. We suggest the interpretive approach could develop further by blurring genres and practising bricolage. We conclude that interpretivism thrives in Britain and Continental Europe because there are established networks behind which lies the nineteenth century European tradition of hermeneutics and idealism.

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PADM revision 17 Nov - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 16 November 2021
Published date: 2022
Keywords: Interpretive theory, Continental Europe, Interpretive policy analysis, public administration, Bevir & Rhodes

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 452397
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/452397
ISSN: 0033-3298
PURE UUID: 69fc2c70-6ce8-40a8-90b6-57a4705ddc7f
ORCID for R. A. W. Rhodes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1886-2392

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Dec 2021 18:00
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 04:04

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Contributors

Author: R. A. W. Rhodes ORCID iD
Author: Mark Bevir

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