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Bureaucrationality Behind the Scenes Field Study of Bureaucrats’ Balance Between Objectivity and Compassion

Ostrowska, Alicja LU (2018) STVM25 20172
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Considering the depersonalization that the bureaucratic role entails, it is interesting to analyze the bureaucratic role-play that occurs between public and private sphere from a dramaturgical perspective. In order to investigate the personal shift of bureaucrats’ attitude, I conducted participant observations and interviews at an office of a Swedish Agency. Based on critical theory and feminist critique, the main research question regarded how a bureaucrat is balancing between objectivity and compassion in their daily work.
The findings show that fragmentation of bureaucratic system entails a distribution of accountability for each element of the process, however, absence of responsibility for the final outcome. Bureaucrats deciding... (More)
Considering the depersonalization that the bureaucratic role entails, it is interesting to analyze the bureaucratic role-play that occurs between public and private sphere from a dramaturgical perspective. In order to investigate the personal shift of bureaucrats’ attitude, I conducted participant observations and interviews at an office of a Swedish Agency. Based on critical theory and feminist critique, the main research question regarded how a bureaucrat is balancing between objectivity and compassion in their daily work.
The findings show that fragmentation of bureaucratic system entails a distribution of accountability for each element of the process, however, absence of responsibility for the final outcome. Bureaucrats deciding upon cases are physically distanced from their customers, whereas street-level bureaucrats are mostly information providers. The system constitutes a precondition for emotional detachment and imbalance between objectivity and compassion. Expressing compassion is considered as belonging to the private sphere, among intimate relationships. Expressing objectivity, which represents reason, is considered as belonging to the public sphere. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ostrowska, Alicja LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20172
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
bureaucracy, dramaturgical analysis, objectivity, compassion, communicative action
language
English
id
8930996
date added to LUP
2018-08-22 14:48:51
date last changed
2018-08-22 14:48:51
@misc{8930996,
  abstract     = {{Considering the depersonalization that the bureaucratic role entails, it is interesting to analyze the bureaucratic role-play that occurs between public and private sphere from a dramaturgical perspective. In order to investigate the personal shift of bureaucrats’ attitude, I conducted participant observations and interviews at an office of a Swedish Agency. Based on critical theory and feminist critique, the main research question regarded how a bureaucrat is balancing between objectivity and compassion in their daily work. 	
The findings show that fragmentation of bureaucratic system entails a distribution of accountability for each element of the process, however, absence of responsibility for the final outcome. Bureaucrats deciding upon cases are physically distanced from their customers, whereas street-level bureaucrats are mostly information providers. The system constitutes a precondition for emotional detachment and imbalance between objectivity and compassion. Expressing compassion is considered as belonging to the private sphere, among intimate relationships. Expressing objectivity, which represents reason, is considered as belonging to the public sphere.}},
  author       = {{Ostrowska, Alicja}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Bureaucrationality Behind the Scenes Field Study of Bureaucrats’ Balance Between Objectivity and Compassion}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}