Public Participation Underwater: Just Keep Swimming?

Public Lecture

At a moment of global democratic crisis, critics have questioned whether participatory innovations have fulfilled their promises. Instead of reducing conflict, empowering citizens, or restoring public trust, even well-designed public participation processes may shift conflict to new arenas, heighten polarization, further empower elites, or cause public cynicism and disengagement. Taking stock of such critiques provides an opportunity to reframe normative expectations for public participation, and to rethink research directions, scope, and timelines. What roles can public participation play in times of conflict, crisis and uncertainty? In authoritarian or populist or social movement contexts? In an unstable and dynamic world of policy stalemates, climate transitions, and rapidly advancing technologies? Which aspects of public participation are resilient and which are disposable? This keynote on the last two decades of political development in public participation will prompt dialogue on the practical potentials of participation at the current moment.

Caroline W. Lee is Professor of Sociology in the Anthropology & Sociology Department and Faculty Director of the Landis Center for Community Engagement at Lafayette College. She graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Sociology, and got her MA and PhD in Sociology at the University of California, San Diego. She is a comparative historical sociologist with research and teaching interests in economic sociology, social movements, political sociology, sociology of knowledge and culture, urban and environmental sociology, and research methods. Her work is located in the multidisciplinary field of American political development.