Description
Book SynopsisBecoming Bureaucrats investigates the identities and motivations of two sets of public servants: police officers and welfare caseworkers. The book argues that who bureaucrats become and how bureaucracies function depends strongly on patterns of self-selection and recruitment.
Trade Review"
Becoming Bureaucrats is a rich inquiry into a critical dimension of the creation of public services. I particularly appreciate Zachary Oberfield's general discussion, drawing on a deep reading of the field and his multi-faceted original research, of how the attitudes front line workers bring to their job, and their experience at work, interact to produce our everyday front line work force." * Michael Lipsky, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos *
"A strong contribution to the literature on public service provision and bureaucratic politics. Oberfield's unique combination of qualitative and quantitative evidence about the acculturation of police officers and social workers into their respective organizations makes this an excellent work." * John Brehm, University of Chicago *
