The Yoke of Objectivity in Public Administration (and Beyond)

Abstract

Objective research has become an institution, one born out of the Enlightenment, and one that continues to burden public administration scholarship (and, we suspect, much scholarship in the social sciences). As we show, objectivity is a complex, multi-dimensional concept that commands its normative status through dominant philosophies of science. We problematize objectivity, focusing on the dimension of objectivity that suggests research can and should be value-free. Many scholars have contested this notion of objectivity, especially those arguing that research claiming to be value-neutral has done real harm to marginalized groups and undermined social equity. From this basis, we invite public administration scholars to remove the yoke of objectivity for a more honest, conscientious, and forthright field where scholars incorporate greater reflexivity into and take greater responsibility for the social impact of their work.