Title: Communicative capacity : public encounters in participatory theory and practice /
Authors: Bartels, Koen P.R.,
Year: 2015
Subjects: Communication in politics.; Communication in politics Case studies.; Political participation; Government communication systems.; Communication
Abstract: In many societies, participatory democracy has become an unshakable norm and widespread practice, with public professionals and citizens regularly encountering each other in participatory practice to address shared problems. But while the frequency, pace, and diversity of these public encounters has increased, communication in participatory practice remains a challenging, fragile, and demanding undertaking that often runs astray. This unique book integrates empirical, theoretical, and practical material to explore how citizens and public professionals communicate, why this is so difficult, and what could lead to more productive conversations. Drawing on fifty-nine timely, original interviews conducted with public professionals and citizens to make a thorough comparative analysis of cases in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy, it shows policy makers, practitioners, students, and academics the value of communicative capacity.
Contents: One. Introduction: communicating in participatory practice -- Public encounters in participatory democracy -- Plan of the book -- Two. Public encounters in participatory democracy: towards communicative capacity -- Participatory democracy: from democratic political theory to practice -- Public encounters: the in-between of public professionals and citizens -- Communicative capacity: theory and practice -- Summary -- Three. Studying narratives of participatory practice -- How public encounters in practice can illuminate theory -- Narrative analysis: examining what happens in-between -- Grounded theory: dialogical analysis of practice -- Final remarks -- Four. Communicative patterns: what happens when public professionals and citizens meet -- Glasgow: making it work -- Amsterdam: being in touch -- Bologna: canalising -- Summary and implications: communicative patterns and capacity -- Five. Work in progress: engaging with the situation -- Glasgow: starting from scratch -- Amsterdam: getting to grips -- Bologna: breaking new ground -- Summary and implications: communicative capacity and work in progress -- Six. Struggling: discussing the substantive issues at hand -- Glasgow: taking a stance -- Amsterdam: under the skin -- Bologna: nuts and bolts -- Summary and implications: communicative capacity and struggling -- Seven. Making connections: building and maintaining relationships -- Glasgow: converting each other -- Amsterdam: approaching each other -- Bologna: keeping distance -- Summary and implications: communicative capacity and making connections -- Eight. Conclusion: communicative capacity In participatory theory and practice -- Public encounters in participatory theory and practice -- Theory and practice of communicative capacity -- Implications for participatory theory -- Nine. Recommendations: communicative capacity in practice and policy -- Communicative capacity in practice -- Policy for communicative capacity -- Learning and change.