The development of Richard Bates’s critical theory in educational administration

Abstract

For nearly two decades, in the field of educational administration, Bates’s critical theory has been one of the most vigorous challenges to the value neutral approach of traditional theories. He has been a key voice claiming that such theories are ideological and mainly concerned with protecting vested interests and class divisions in society. Despite their theoretical endurance and practical implications, the main ideas advocated by Bates’s critical theory have not been examined seriously in the field. This paper analyses the main ideas of Bates’s critical social theory in three ways. First, the major intellectual influences that shaped Bates’s theory are examined. Second, those areas where Bates and Greenfield shared similar views yet took different approaches are considered. Finally, the main arguments that critics raised against Bates are examined and evaluated.

Where Does the Future of an Intellectual Structure of the EAQ Corpus Lie? A Response to Hallinger et al.'s Empirical Reflection

“…Yet the Griffiths-Greenfield debate reached a crescendo in the 1970s. Inspired by Greenfield's advocacy for the naturalistic paradigm, the literature on critical theory and qualitative approach showed up at the periphery of the co-citation network in the 1980s (Bates, 2006; Lakomski, 1987; Park, 1999). The heat of the Griffiths-Greenfield debate cooled down after the death of those courageous voices in the 1990s.…”

A Thematic Analysis On Articles Published In The Field Of Educational Administration After 2000s.

“…The absence of these cultural rules raises the crisis of legitimacy. Park (1999) states that one of the most important scholars who oppose the traditional and modern education management approach is B ates. According to Bates (2001), it is important to analyze education administration concerning culture since culture is the main source of educational practices.…”