THE AESTHETICIZATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

In this article the authors contend that the application of aesthetic theory to the field of public administration can enhance and encourage creative human activity for more effective problem-solving. Shared values and understandings, which are the basis for collective action or inaction, are uncovered through the aesthetic examination and appreciation of societal and organizational images. Aesthetic theorizing is presented as a way to dialectically synthesize socially created and encountered artifacts that more authentically reflect our experiences, perceptions and visions for the future while yielding richer, more democratic interpretations of social phenomena toward meaningful praxis in everyday organizational life.