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Symposium: Beyond Representative Bureaucracy: Race, Gender and Social Equity in Governance

  • 1.  Symposium: Beyond Representative Bureaucracy: Race, Gender and Social Equity in Governance

    Posted 10-21-2019 12:28
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    ***Apologies for Cross Postings***

    Organizers:
    Leisha DeHart Davis, Jasmine Johnson, Kathryn Newcomer, Sanjay Pandey and Norma Riccucci

    Symposium Date and Location:
    May 27-28, 2020, The George Washington University Symposium

    Objectives and Scope
    We are organizing a day-long symposium to convene scholars to address the disconnect between the intensity and urgency of social concerns and the state of academic scholarship. Social movements, like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, bring to light the longing to grapple directly with race and gender inequities and to set things right. The current political climate in the United States, and the world over, underscores the importance of race and gender in public life.

    In comparison, the state of scholarship on race and gender in public policy and public administration remains fragmented and somewhat disconnected with broader concerns in society. Although there are some scholars conducting research relevant to race and gender in public policy and administration, these efforts do not inform each other and fail to synergistically work to create a virtuous circle. In order to move scholarship forward, we call for a focus on social equity to frame the symposium to be held on May 27-28, 2020.

    The relationship between public administration and social equity came into sharp focus during the 1960's. A number of leading scholars over time– among them, Cam Stivers, Mary Ellen Guy, Norma Riccucci, George Fredrickson, and Dwight Waldo – have observed that policy implemented by public administrators had benefits for some citizens but not others. Since that time representative bureaucracy research has provided public administration scholars and practitioners theoretical and empirical research about the connections between passive and active representative in a variety of contexts (Meir and Nicholson-Crotty, 2006; Sowa and Selden, 2006; Riccucci, Van Ryzin, and Li, 2006; Song, 2008).There is also emerging research on the ways citizens' multiple identities, or intersectionality, has an impact on distribution or access to services (Breslin, Pandey, and Riccucci, 2016; Bearfield, 2008). Additionally, several master of public administration degree programs have created courses and fields of concentrations that focus on social justice and equity.

    The purpose of the May symposium is to inspire and share research that frames public management and policy research using a social equity lens. We are especially interested in theoretical and/or empirical research that helps shed light on understudied aspects of social equity, such as: how are (or might) policy and programs designed to promote social equity, and how does an equity-focus enrich research and evaluation on the impact of public programs and policies.

    Potential papers could address a variety of topics such as:
    • approaches to achieving social equity in both the public and nonprofit sectors;
    • gender, racial and ethnic disparities in public services;
    • the role of gender and race in organizational dynamics;
    • the extent and impact of bias within public service bureaucracies;
    • how taking an intersectional lens can help in public service delivery;
    • normative and critical theory approaches to addressing the role of race and gender in public service;
    • the application of frameworks from outside of public administration scholarship to studying race, gender and ethnicity in public service;
    • new avenues for representative bureaucracy research;
    • the impact of social movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo on public service;
    • the impact equitable philanthropy has in local communities;
    • how HR processes interact with social equity; and
    • how to address equity issues stemming from other differences such as LGBTQ, age and disabilities in public service.

    Papers presented at the symposium will be considered for publication in a special symposium issue to be published in a leading journal (TBD). Symposium Organizers, in consultation with journal editors, will develop a process for providing developmental feedback during and after the symposium and submitting to the journal. Further details will be provided to symposium attendees.

    Timeline
    January 30, 2020: Deadline for Submission of proposal of 400-500 words; please submit to CORGES @gwu.edu in MSWORD or PDF format
    February 20, 2020: Notification will be sent to all those who submit proposals.
    May 1, 2020: Papers are due to discussants
    May 27-28, 2020: Symposium will be held on the campus of the George Washington University beginning with a 5pm reception on May 27th and ending at 5pm on May 28.

    Proposal Submission Process
    Please send your paper proposal to corges@gwu.edu by no later than 5pm on January 30, 2020.

    Jasmine McGinnis-Johnson

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    Eddy Ng
    Bucknell University
    Lewisburg PA
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