ABSTRACT
In chapter one we suggested that the local authority had incorporated conflicting theories of knowledge, and that these conflicting theories of knowledge might be found in policy documents and in the views of officers and members. We suggested that this might shed some light on cases where the authority's policy of self-criticism, part of its approach to urban deprivation, had broken down. We suggested that different theories of knowledge held by individuals within the authority might underlie conflicting moral and practical positions, and that these conflicts might hinder the constructive criticism of policies.
