Public administration, the interpretive turn and storytelling

Abstract

This chapter considers the interpretive turn in British public administration. It provides a brief introduction to both interpretive theory and ethnographic methods. It illustrates the approach by summarising some of the (few) cases of the approach ‘in action’. It identifies the advantages of the approach. It discusses applications of the interpretive approach in public administration. It concludes that combining an interpretive approach with ethnographic methods (plural) is both edifying and relevant.