Critical social science and conflict transformation: opportunities for citizen governance
International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior
ISSN: 1093-4537
Article publication date: 1 March 2005
Abstract
Critical theory has rarely articulated an agenda for social change linking theory to practice. This paper provides several examples of “critical theory in practice” and focuses specifically on Fay’s Critical Social Science (CSS) model. The methods of conflict transformation are then applied to CSS in order to accomplish two goals. First, political conflicts resulting from decision making can be used to transform both individuals and systems. Second, CSS more adequately accounts for some of the non-rational aspects of human nature, such as our resistance to change, thus improving its catalytic validity as a critical social theory. Together, the processes of CSS and conflict transformation provide a framework for enhancing the potential for citizen governance.
Citation
Meyer-Emerick, N. (2005), "Critical social science and conflict transformation: opportunities for citizen governance", International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 541-558. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-08-04-2005-B005
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005 by PrAcademics Press