John C. Pierce, Ph.D.
Teaching
My teaching generally focuses on the community cultural context within which public administrators conduct their work.
Teaching Interests
- Political culture
- Sustainability
- Social capital
- Civic engagement.
Research
Current Research
Sustainability and Isomorphism in American urban areas: This project assesses variations in sustainability efforts in more than 40 American urban areas. The initial step assessed the viability of three political culture theories in explaining variations in sustainability: social capital (e.g., Putnam); creative class (Florida); and historical legacy (Elazar). The sustainability dimensions include: environmental, health, economic, sprawl, and policy/planning. The effects of political culture are examined while controlling for the social/demographic attributes of the urban areas. The first paper growing out of this project (“Cultural sources of variations in urban sustainability efforts in the U.S.”) was published in Cities: International Journal of Urban Planning and Policy (2008). The follow-up paper on resilience appeared in Environmental Politics (2011). Additional research in various stages examines: social capital and county EM collaboration with Nicholas Lovrich, Holly Goerdel, and Bonnie Johnson; Social capital and sustainability efforts in Kansas counties, in collaboration with Professors Stacey White and Bonnie Johnson of KU’s Department of Urban Planning; social, cultural and human capital and county level participation in Kansas Humanities Council grant programs; research monograph on attitudes about alternative energy technologies in Washington, Oregon and California; and, a fourth collection of personal essays.
Research Interests
- Sustainability
- Political culture
- Environmental orientations
- Social capital
Service
Participation in multiple non-profits as board member; reviewer of manuscripts for professional journals