Deepening Divides: Decentralized Development and the ‘Tyranny’ of Participation

Nair, Tamara

doi:10.1002/jid.3233

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Overall, the evidence of decentralization propelling participation is not only limited and unconvincing, but it is inconclusive in two respects. One, while local citizens are mostly not homogenous in terms of wealth, most discussions of citizens' participation lump all grassroots people together (Botchway 2001;Nair 2016). However, the evidence firmly demonstrates that, there are more structural barriers facing the poor than the non-poor with respect to participation (La Ferrara 2002;Caínzos and Voces 2010;McNulty 2015).…”

Section: Decentralization and Participation: A Brief Overview Of Theo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Decentralization and Pro-poor Participation in Ghana: Unmasking the Barriers to Inclusive Grassroots Development

Be-ere

2022

St Comp Int Dev

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Donors have strongly advocated decentralization on the grounds that it broadens the participation of citizens in development processes, thereby increasing government responsiveness to their needs. Although there have been studies seeking to establish the veracity of this claim, they remain weak on two fronts. One, while wealth differentials affect citizen participation, these studies approach citizens as a homogenous group. Two, participation is mostly viewed narrowly—participation in elections. Drawing on empirical data from Ghana’s decentralization reform, this paper addresses these gaps by questioning how pro-poor citizen participation in decentralized development planning has been. I argue that although Ghana’s decentralization was propagated on championing pro-poor grassroots participation in governance and development, in reality, participation is elitist and has failed to reflect the voices of the poor. My findings demonstrate that the participation structures and processes used in local development planning are unfavourable to the poor in many respects. Elite and representative participation is promoted to the detriment of broad citizen participation. This exclusion is resulting in surging apathy of citizens towards the district assemblies—institutions hitherto trusted as their development champions. This paper concludes that the poor will remain voiceless despite decentralization unless the structural barriers to their participation are tackled in decentralization design and praxis.

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Section: Decentralization and Participation: A Brief Overview Of Theo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Decentralization and Pro-poor Participation in Ghana: Unmasking the Barriers to Inclusive Grassroots Development

Be-ere

2022

St Comp Int Dev

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“…However, empirical studies examining the degree of Mozambican citizens' satisfaction with their involvement in administrative processes are lacking. The absence of studies on the effectiveness of such channels is a potential threat to ongoing administrative reforms, as without research evidence, they can be only symbolic rather than authentic (King et al, 1998; Nair, 2016).…”

Section: Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration based on their motivation in an authoritarian regime: The case of Gaza Province, Mozambique

Sitoe,

Lim

2023

J of Intl Development

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Studies aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of channels for participating in administration have been conducted mainly in democratic, developed countries. However, outcomes from those settings may not apply to developing or less developed countries where democracy has yet to be consolidated. In Mozambique, which has an authoritarian regime, the effectiveness of participatory channels from the public point of view remains unexplored. Therefore, based on participants' motives for participation, this study empirically examines citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration with specific reference to Gaza Province and suggests that policy makers and administrators design participation channels for local governments to ensure and protect citizens' authentic participation in administration.

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“…Since the emergence of the 'tyranny' criticism, some scholars find it too radical and critical (e.g. Hickey and Mohan 2004;Nair 2016). Pollock and Sharp (2012) contend that urban redevelopment and community participation and empowerment are in essence conflictual.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework: Tyranny Of Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tyrannical participation approaches in China’s regeneration of Urban heritage areas: a case study of baitasi historic district, Beijing

Wei

2021

International Journal of Heritage Studies

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She obtained her master's degree in historic preservation from the School of Design, University of Pennsylvania. Ran's research focuses on heritage preservation planning and heritage-led urban regeneration, particularly in China. She is now working on how the Chinese government exploits heritage to build national image and conduct culture promotion, particularly under the recent everchanging international geopolitical context, and how that affects the heritage policies and conservation projects as well as local communities. She is also interested in heritage tourism, state-led relocation and gentrification in heritage areas, and nomination and management of World Heritage sites in China.

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Deepening Divides: Decentralized Development and the ‘Tyranny’ of Participation

Cited by 4 publications

References 18 publications

Decentralization and Pro-poor Participation in Ghana: Unmasking the Barriers to Inclusive Grassroots Development

Decentralization and Pro-poor Participation in Ghana: Unmasking the Barriers to Inclusive Grassroots Development

Understanding citizens' perception of channels for participating in administration based on their motivation in an authoritarian regime: The case of Gaza Province, Mozambique

Tyrannical participation approaches in China’s regeneration of Urban heritage areas: a case study of baitasi historic district, Beijing

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