Redressing Information Inequality through Social Justice Research: The Case of Environmental Justice

摘要: INTRODUCTION A 2004 symposium issue of the International Journal Public Administration explored maturation field public administration. In this Richard Johnson criticized discipline for taking a narrow approach to questions diversity and social equity by concentrating on issues race gender. He suggested refocus its efforts include class-related research (Johnson, 2004) Other authors have documented extent which administration has focused gender while neglecting class (and sexual orientation). Oldfield, Chandler, (2004) conducted four country review (Australia, Brazil, Canada, United States) literature found nearly all articles with little attention class. The explanations offered lack range from bias in higher education "professionalization" These argued that low-income families are most underrepresented group at major universities. This is true among both students faculty, few whom significant personal experience (Oldfield, & Johnson, 2004, p. 165-166) also argue because "professionalization [of administration] promotes responds needs state, it can often does set permissible limits scholarly debate." Consequently, there an almost total neglect (or relative silence about) distribution wealth "society unequal classes?" 2003, 512). While community activists find frustrating, understanding source problem essential reframing appeals greater equity. Another possible explanation blind spot subject concept, whatever explanatory power, not constitute "strategic" variable our system government. To put matter indelicately, illegal discriminate against someone race, but isn't who poor. administrators understand (better than most) political legal trump card. By comparison, interesting phenomenon, potent category. Racial discrimination comes "prepackaged" own sense urgency readily apparent solutions. Given these background facts, researchers, particularly those target practitioner audience, might be forgiven if they respond more eagerly what law problematizes tacitly permits. But as Candler, suggest, American Society Code Ethics exhorts researchers take proactive inequity urges them work improve change laws policies counterproductive or obsolete. Understanding problematic relationship between environment professional ethics allows better focus their organizing lobbying activities. Finally, roots general state Streib Roch (2005) reviewed critiques identified "hard" "soft" barriers strengthening research. barriers, boundaries, "limit quality methods used research" (p. 38). Hard boundaries available data support study adequate funding develop resources/data sets. Soft low priority, low-quality dissertations doctoral training ineffectiveness. do explicitly define appropriate topics, cite observations about need "long-term studies administrative phenomena. …