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Unpacking 'Participation': models, meanings and practices
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 16:27 authored by Andrea CornwallThe world over, public institutions appear to be responding to the calls voiced by activists, development practitioners and progressive thinkers for greater public involvement in making the decisions that matter and holding governments to account for following through on their commitments. Yet what exactly 'participation' means to these different actors can vary enormously. This article explores some of the meanings and practices associated with participation, in theory and in practice. It suggests that it is vital to pay closer attention to who is participating, in what and for whose benefit. Vagueness about what participation means may have helped the promise of public involvement gain purchase, but it may be time for more of what Cohen and Uphoff term 'clarity through specificity' if the call for more participation is to realize its democratizing promise.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Community Development JournalISSN
0010-3802Publisher
Oxford University PressExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
43Page range
269-283Pages
25.0Department affiliated with
- Anthropology Publications
Notes
Reserve piece.Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes