Diversity in Public Administration

PA 760

Fall 2009

Objectives

The United States in general, and California in particular, is becoming an increasingly diverse society.  The metaphor of American society as a “melting pot” where individuals are expected to melt into, and adapt to, the dominant culture has been replaced by that of a “salad bowl,” where the value of recognizing individual differences is affirmed.

 It is paramount, then, for public administrators to recognize that traditional ways of managing organizations and delivering services are no longer adequate.  It is essential that we understand the ways in which conventional organizational processes can inadvertently subvert the full inclusion and participation of some societal groups. 

There is a particular reason why this is important to public administrators. For many years, policymakers have realized the importance of having a civil service that “looks like America.”  This is because the civil service has always had a political role to play in sending important signals about the nation’s priorities to the citizenry.  Thomas Jefferson sought a government that was representative of political parties, while the Civil Service Act endeavored to achieve a civil service representative of all the states.  Veterans have traditionally been given preference in civil service employment in recognition of their service to the country.  Over the past few decades, it became important for government to demonstrate to the nation that it values equal opportunity and social equity for women, minorities, and the disabled.  In addition, as the nation’s largest employer and enforcer of its laws, government has a particular responsibility to ensure that its’ own house is in order with respect to equal opportunity.    

Moreover, government has a significant impact on the every day lives of residents of the U.S. With increasing globalization, the reach of our country extends into many other countries. No matter what role any particular public administrator plays in government, maximum benefit of the work will only be realized by administrators who understand that “one-size-fits-all” policies, programs and services are inadequate.

The purpose of this class is to provide you with the knowledge and understanding required to meet the challenges presented by our increasingly diverse society. An important component of the class will be examining the role the Courts have played in defining the legal rights of diverse groups. It is the Courts, rather than Congress or the Executive, who have set the parameters of policies concerning such important diversity-related issues as sexual harassment, affirmative action, and disability policy, to name a few.   Laws regulating the public sector in this respect are different than those regulating the private sector, and, in some cases, state and local governments are held to different standards than the federal government.  It is important for public administrators to understand these important distinctions. Course objectives include providing knowledge and understanding of:

• Demographic changes that are taking place within the population and labor force and how they affect the management of organizations, particularly in view of the higher education and skill levels required by public sector jurisdictions;

• Ways in which formal and informal organizational processes and requirements and systematically restrict opportunities for “non-mainstream” individuals;

• The increasingly important differences between disparate treatment and disparate impact discrimination

• The controversy surrounding affirmative action and school desegregation

•  The impact of diversity on government decisionmaking and service delivery.

The format and assignments for this class are designed to build the skills you need as public administrators.  Since public administrators are not usually required to take written tests, such a test will not be given in this class.  However, public administrators are required to prepare for, attend, and actively participate in meetings with their colleagues and supervisors.  Therefore, an important component of this course is demonstrating that you have read the material required in advance and have understood and thought about it.

Additional assignments will test your ability to conduct independent research and analysis, and clearly and concisely present your findings both orally and in writing.  Since many organizations are moving toward team-based structures, an assignment will also require you to work as a team to develop a product and you will be evaluated, in part, based on your contribution to that team.