by SWPS University
We are pleased to present the final conceptual deliverable from WP1 - the Updated Conceptual Framework.
The EUARENAS project has yielded numerous intriguing empirical observations and practical experiences. These results were observed based on the conceptual foundations laid in D1.1 and the inquiries posed by an exhaustive literature review in D1.2. In our latest publication, we leverage the project's findings to address the theoretical gaps and dilemmas identified in previous stages and propose new theoretical and conceptual advancements in urban participatory and deliberative governance.
We begin the deliverable with two essays that underscore the necessity of refining our understanding of the complexity of these processes. Firstly, we suggest moving beyond the simplistic bottom-up and top-down binary by offering a perspective that perceives activists, civil society organizations, and social movements on the one hand, as well as actors from local government’s participatory offices on the other, as less distinct than commonly portrayed in literature or public discourse. Instead, we propose viewing them as interconnected within a web of political relations that simultaneously constrain and guide some of their activities while also providing unique opportunities for implementing change. Similarly, we discuss the renowned ladder of participation as a tool to evaluate and compare the extent of power sharing. However, we propose a more intricate yet still elegant tool - the piano of participation. This approach helps us understand contemporary participatory processes as complex, multilayered phenomena in which actors play different roles in harmony with others, where rhythm and harmony are as crucial as occasional improvisation and solo performances.
The next section of the deliverable comprises four essays that intervene in contemporary debates. Firstly, we address the central theme of the EUARENAS project - inclusion - from the often-overlooked perspective of cognitive psychology, particularly in making these processes comprehensible to older or neurodivergent citizens. We also utilize the geographical diversity of EUARENAS to discuss how the understanding of commons—differently conceived in post-socialist and rural settings—impacts the success of participatory processes. Finally, we examine two issues highlighted in our study of deliberative and participatory processes: urban populism and PR-ticipation. Mainstream debates often depict deliberation as a remedy for populism, elitism, and technocracy inherent in modern democracy. We complicate this view by demonstrating how populists, politicians, and experts might co-opt participatory processes for their agendas.
The deliverable ends with two interconnected essays that propose a comprehensive understanding of deliberative and participatory governance as inherently caught between conflict and consensus. First, we explore the philosophical underpinnings of this binary and suggest conceptual solutions. Then, we propose a theoretical model suitable for analyzing, evaluating, and designing future democratic innovations, not restricted to the local, urban context.
Our deliverable does not conclude the theoretical and conceptual work of the EUARENAS project. On the contrary, we hope its argumentative nature, combined with an essay-like structure, will ignite debate not only within the academic field but also across various disciplines and stakeholder groups interested in participatory governance and democratic innovations. We invite all readers to engage with us in this discourse!
You can download the document here.