A Conceptual Exploration of Participation. Section III: Utilitarian Perspectives and Conclusion

Thomas, Ruth; Whybrow, Katherine; Scharber, Cassandra

doi:10.1111/j.1469-5812.2010.00740.x

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Further, concepts vary on who should initiate participation taking place, while a semi-educational approach is prevailing, highlighted e.g. in Thomas et al (2011): "Becoming familiar with the meanings of participation reflected in aesthetics may help educational policy makers and stakeholders to envision the rich possibilities for education of these tools' collaborative affordances." Moreover, some authors broadcast some sort of "aesthetic politics"-"design is political".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aesthetic Participation for Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Kathmandu, Nepal

Singh¹,

Keitsch²

2018

JMS

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Art and design are increasingly emphasizing the role of user participation and social inclusion. Some authors claim for example, that art processes should employ creative ideas, abilities and skills of diverse stakeholders. The idea of art as a social sculpture (Beuys) is not new. Art has played an important role for participation of different social groups in common cultural activities for many decades. The role of art, experience and participation in this sense connects Heidegger’s interpretation of the artwork, expressed for example, through the significant cultural role of the temple, with modern participatory art and design concepts. The following chapter discusses aesthetic participation as element of an established cultural practice and the role the artwork plays in this practice. Established means here: intrinsic with dynamic potential deliberately changing parts of the practice towards social inclusion. Following the introduction, the second section briefly introduces some current trends on aesthetic participation and continues with an appraisal of Heidegger’s ontological aesthetics. Employing insights from section two, the fourth section analyses aesthetic experience and participation within a case study done by the authors: The Akash Bhairab Temple at Indrachowk, Kathmandu Nepal. The fifth section summarizes possibilities and limitations of present concepts and discusses how ontological aesthetics can supplement these. Section six conclusively considers aesthetic participation as contribution to cultural sustainability. The insights of this study might be valuable for artists and educators as well as for stakeholders, who use aesthetic participation as an entry point for social decision-making and inclusion.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aesthetic Participation for Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Kathmandu, Nepal

Singh¹,

Keitsch²

2018

JMS

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“…3. See, for example, Thomas et al (2012aThomas et al ( , 2012bThomas et al ( , 2012c for an in-depth exploration of the concept 'participation'. 4.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young people as co-researchers: enabling student participation in educational practice

Smit

2013

Professional Development in Education

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This article explores the way student participation can be incorporated into educational practice, in particular in the form of the student participation process 'students as co-researchers'. It is argued that enabling student participation, in the sense that students are involved in decisions that affect them in their school lives, is valuable and should be pursued for various motives. One of these motives is a rights-based motive following from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the declaration Education for All. Moreover, student and teacher learning are identified as other important motives for intensive student participation practices. An action research project in the Netherlands conducted by teams of teachers, students and museum educators serves to illustrate the student participation process and the strategy for teacher learning. First, the concept of student participation will be explored and related to teacher's professional development. Second, the characteristics and the intensity of the student participation in this case are described along six dimensions of participation. Next, the implications for the learning and professional development of teachers who participated in the Dutch project are explored. The four domains of the Interconnected Model of Teacher Professional Growth serve as the structuring framework.

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“…The most fundamental difference in perspectives, as reflected in the development literature, is whether participatory process is taken as a means to achieve an end which is generally specified as a project goal, or is considered as an end in itself that ultimately enables the community members to control their own development (Dudley 1993;Hickey & Mohan 2005;Cornwall 2006Cornwall , 2008White 2011;Thomas et al 2012). The 'means-end' debate is also described as 'instrumental' or 'transformative' participationthe former corresponding as an instrument for a specific project goal, while the latter embraces participation as a mechanism of empowerment and progressive social change (Nelson & Wright 1995;Buchy & Race 2001).…”

Section: Participatory Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the 'means-end', 'instrumental-transformative', 'manipulated-spontaneous' or 'invitedclaimed' distinctions of participatory processes as discussed above are often considered as denoting opposite alternatives, some scholars disagree with such clear dichotomies and suggest that these are the ends of the same continuum. These scholars argue that participatory processes have varying potential to develop the political capabilities of marginalised peoples that enhance their space to manoeuvre within local power configurations, which is the foundation for transformation (Hickey & Mohan 2004;Thomas et al 2012;Cornwall 2016).…”

Section: Participatory Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Including the excluded: marginalised poor communities and development practices in rural Nepal

Acharya¹

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The participation of beneficiaries in development programs is widely seen as a potential means for empowerment and inclusion of socially marginalised peoples, and democratisation of the grassroots. International development agencies such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program, and critics of conventional centralised 'top-down' development approaches, emphasise the role of participatory practices in social transformation through inclusion and empowerment. However, some empirical studies scrutinising the unequal power relationships between external development experts and marginalised peoples in participatory development processes, point out the potential risks of strengthening unequal power relationships, despite the emphasis on empowerment and inclusion. A key research gap was identified: that the experiences of the socially marginalised people themselves, who have increasingly been involved in participatory development programs are generally underexplored in development research. This research set out to examine whether participatory development programs targeted at socially marginalised poor communities of Nepal did in fact contribute to their inclusion and empowerment. A qualitative multiple case study research design was employed in three highly marginalised rural poor communities-Madhesi Dalits, landless fishers' community (Fishers), and Chepangs of South-Central Nepal. An actor-oriented perspective and social interface analysis approach was adopted to comprehend the marginalised peoples' experiences of development interventions in their particular contexts. The case study methodology involved in-depth interviews, focus groups and observation. The study findings showed that various state and non-state agencies have increasingly adopted and promoted participatory approaches and invested resources for the socioeconomic development of marginalised peoples; however, the equity and empowerment implications of these efforts for the local communities were limited. Collaboration of marginalised peoples' organisations with external development agencies, particularly non-governmental organisations (NGOs), provided opportunities for them to access development resources, engage in networks and develop leadership. On the other hand, NGOs also contributed to the 'professionalisation' of community organisations by valuing leaders with professional or academic knowledge, rather than those with indigenous wisdom. In several instances NGOs advocated on behalf of those they considered 'ignorant' people and displaced them from their prior collective participation in social struggles against systemic discrimination and oppression. Interactions of community groups with NGOs led to the co-option of community leaders, creating elite groups and turning them into local brokersa different social categoryrather than facilitating their roles as active agents to encourage grassroots mobilisation for social transformation.

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A Conceptual Exploration of Participation. Section III: Utilitarian Perspectives and Conclusion

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

Aesthetic Participation for Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Kathmandu, Nepal

Aesthetic Participation for Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Kathmandu, Nepal

Young people as co-researchers: enabling student participation in educational practice

Including the excluded: marginalised poor communities and development practices in rural Nepal

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