Teaching curiosity in public affairs programs

Abstract

Through practicing curiosity by asking questions in the hopes of seeking answers, public administrators may practice empathy, build knowledge about how the world works, and in doing so, dispel ignorance in public agencies. By valuing curiosity, or dispelling ignorance about how the world works, public administrators may help create bureaucracies that are effective, democratic, and trustworthy. Thus, curiosity is a concept that can help public administrators improve the delivery of public services and better serve their communities. However, public affairs curriculum rarely addresses the topic. This article discusses the importance of curiosity in public administration, examines how public affairs programs can teach the concept, and concludes with advice on incorporating the exercises teaching curiosity in the public administration classroom.

Canadian graduate programs in public administration: The state of the field

“…There have been many calls for reform, especially in the United States considering perceived failures in public administration education (Evans et al, 2019). There are many suggestions to expand content including, for instance, to teach complexity (Raisio et al, 2018), empathy (Edlins & Dolamore, 2018), curiosity (Hatcher, 2019) or global ethics (Haque & Gunther, 2018). Deutscher et al (2019) explore the role of discretion and conscience for public administrators.…”

Reaching Into the Dark Side of Organisations: The Banality and Emergence of Administrative Evil in the Light of Two Case Examples

“…He suggests, instead, that 'whistle-blowers may unconsciously also represent the lost good part of the "self" of staff members and that this intensifies the hatred of them, increasing the inclination to stigmatize them. Hatcher (2019aHatcher ( , 2019b writes of administrative curiosity, essentially manifesting curiosity by asking questions and seriously seeking answers. Ideally, ignorance of the world is then replaced with knowledge.…”