Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India?
India faces extensive challenges of rapid urbanization and deficits in human well-being and environmental sustainability. Democratic governance is expected to strengthen public policies and efforts towards sustainability. This article presents a study in Pune, India, which aimed at exploring percept...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Urban Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/5/2/39 |
| _version_ | 1797536353066418176 |
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| author | Sanskriti Menon Janette Hartz-Karp Dora Marinova |
| author_facet | Sanskriti Menon Janette Hartz-Karp Dora Marinova |
| author_sort | Sanskriti Menon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | India faces extensive challenges of rapid urbanization and deficits in human well-being and environmental sustainability. Democratic governance is expected to strengthen public policies and efforts towards sustainability. This article presents a study in Pune, India, which aimed at exploring perceptions about public participation in urban governance and the potential of high-quality public deliberation to meet deficits. The research reveals disaffection of the public with government decision-making and government-led participation. Further, it shows that people are interested in participating in community life and seek to be partners in civic decision-making, but find themselves unable to do so. The study illustrates that high-quality public deliberations facilitated by an independent third party can provide a satisfactory space of participation, learning, and developing balanced outcomes. Citizens expressed readiness for partnership, third-party facilitation, and support from civic advocacy groups. Challenges with regard to government commitment to deliberative democracy will need to be overcome for a purposeful shift from conventional weak to empowered participation of ordinary citizens in civic decision-making. We anticipate that while institutionalization of high-quality public deliberations may take time, civil society-led public deliberations may help raise community expectations and demand for induced deliberative democracy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:58:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff17569a9fc648babebedecd3ab2f1f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:58:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff17569a9fc648babebedecd3ab2f1f72023-11-21T17:09:09ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512021-04-01523910.3390/urbansci5020039Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India?Sanskriti Menon0Janette Hartz-Karp1Dora Marinova2Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, AustraliaCurtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, AustraliaCurtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, AustraliaIndia faces extensive challenges of rapid urbanization and deficits in human well-being and environmental sustainability. Democratic governance is expected to strengthen public policies and efforts towards sustainability. This article presents a study in Pune, India, which aimed at exploring perceptions about public participation in urban governance and the potential of high-quality public deliberation to meet deficits. The research reveals disaffection of the public with government decision-making and government-led participation. Further, it shows that people are interested in participating in community life and seek to be partners in civic decision-making, but find themselves unable to do so. The study illustrates that high-quality public deliberations facilitated by an independent third party can provide a satisfactory space of participation, learning, and developing balanced outcomes. Citizens expressed readiness for partnership, third-party facilitation, and support from civic advocacy groups. Challenges with regard to government commitment to deliberative democracy will need to be overcome for a purposeful shift from conventional weak to empowered participation of ordinary citizens in civic decision-making. We anticipate that while institutionalization of high-quality public deliberations may take time, civil society-led public deliberations may help raise community expectations and demand for induced deliberative democracy.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/5/2/39deliberative democracyparticipationPunesustainabilitylocal governmentfacilitation |
| spellingShingle | Sanskriti Menon Janette Hartz-Karp Dora Marinova Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? Urban Science deliberative democracy participation Pune sustainability local government facilitation |
| title | Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? |
| title_full | Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? |
| title_fullStr | Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? |
| title_short | Can Deliberative Democracy Work in Urban India? |
| title_sort | can deliberative democracy work in urban india |
| topic | deliberative democracy participation Pune sustainability local government facilitation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/5/2/39 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sanskritimenon candeliberativedemocracyworkinurbanindia AT janettehartzkarp candeliberativedemocracyworkinurbanindia AT doramarinova candeliberativedemocracyworkinurbanindia |