Between Monocles and Veils: Glimpses in Postcolonial Public Administration

Abstract

This paper is an invitation to scholars and practitioners in public administration to consider a postcolonial public administration. It offers a basic introduction to postcolonial theory, reflects upon why it is important for public administration to consider adopting the postcolonial critical perspective, and summarizes the advantages of adopting this perspective. The paper suggests we are living under the postcolonial rubric; as scholars and practitioners we need to consider what this implies, and how it affects our tasks as intellectuals, academics, and practitioners as we consider it contributes toward understanding the contemporary human condition.

Keywords:

• postcolonial theory,
• hybridity,
• ambivalence,
• third space,
• globalization,
• deconstruction