000			01348pab a2200169 454500
008			180718b2012 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aStout, Margaret
245			_aCompeting ontologies: A primer for public administration
260			_c2012
300			_ap.388-398.
362			_aMay - Jun
520			_aA growing number of public administration theorists are taking up the question of ontology-the nature of existence. This primer on the topic provides a basic explanation of ontology, describes the fundamental debates in the competing ontologies of Western philosophy, and discusses why ontology is important to social and political theory, as well as to public administration theory and practice. Using an ideal-type approach, the author analyzes how different ontologies imply particular political forms that undergird public administration theories and practices. This ideal-type model can be used to identify the ontological assumptions in these theories and practices. The article concludes with an invitation for personal reflection on the part of scholars and practitioners in regard to which ontology best fits their experience and belief and the alternatives that we might pursue for a better future. - Reproduced.
650			_aPublic administration
773			_aPublic Administration Review
908			_aN
909			_a96026
999			_c96026 _d96026