More than Words: A Multidimensional Approach to Deliberative Democracy

2020 ◽  
pp. 003232172095056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça ◽  
Selen A Ercan ◽  
Hans Asenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Democratic Politics ◽  
Multidimensional Approach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Ways Of Thinking

Since its inception, a core aspiration of deliberative democracy has been to enable more and better inclusion within democratic politics. In this article, we argue that deliberative democracy can achieve this aspiration only if it goes beyond verbal forms of communication and acknowledges the crucial role of non-verbal communication in expressing and exchanging arguments. The article develops a multidimensional approach to deliberative democracy by emphasizing the visual, sonic and physical dimensions of communication in public deliberation. We argue that non-verbal modes of communication can contribute to public deliberation when they (1) are used as part of reason-giving processes, (2) enable the inclusion of marginalized actors in public debates and (3) induce reflection and encourage new ways of thinking about the public controversies at hand.

scholarly journals New Trouble For Deliberative Democracy

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-123
Author(s):  
Robert Talisse
Keyword(s):  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Democratic Politics ◽  
Political Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Democratic Practice

In the past two decades, democratic political practice has taken a deliberative turn. That is, contemporary democratic politics has become increasingly focused on facilitating citizen participation in the public exchange of reasons. Although the deliberative turn in democratic practice is in several respects welcome, the technological and communicative advances that have facilitated it also make possible new kinds of deliberative democratic pathology. This essay calls attention to and examines new epistemological troubles for public deliberation enacted under contemporary conditions. Drawing from a lesson offered by Lyn Sanders two decades ago, the paper raises the concern that the deliberative turn in democratic practice has counter-democratic effects.

The TV addresses of the Swiss government before popular votes

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane M. Schröter
Keyword(s):  
Political System ◽  
Argumentation Theory ◽  
Micro Structure ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
Democratic Rights ◽  
Swiss Government

Abstract This paper analyzes an important genre in the public debates before popular votes in Switzerland: the TV addresses in which the Swiss government presents its standpoint and main arguments for or against the proposal put to the vote. The paper investigates a series of addresses in order to characterize the argumentation in them. The question is whether the addresses show similarities and, if there are any, what their pragmatic effects on the argumentation might be. The addresses are studied with concepts and methods from linguistics and argumentation theory: with regard to the role of the non-verbal modes, the composition, the relation between argumentation and other practices, the argumentative macro- and micro-structure, and personal references. In all these aspects, recurrent features can be identified. Many of these features can be understood as highly functional for the Swiss political system with its far-reaching direct democratic rights. They effectuate an argumentation that is rather informative than confrontational.

Interpretation of the Wood Drum of the Wa Nationality from a Symbolic Semiotic Perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 503-504 ◽  
pp. 354-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu Jian Li ◽  
Rui Bo Hu ◽  
Xi Ye ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Yu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
Traditional Culture ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
The Public ◽  
Primitive Society ◽  
Public Voice ◽  
Semiotic Perspective ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Tourism Economy

As the public voice to protect traditional culture is upsurging gradually today, it is significant to study the wood drum of the traditional Wa culture so as to better protect and exploit the culture. This essay, mainly consisting of three parts: the origin of the wood drum, its functions and its cultural meanings, aims to interprate the important role of the wood drum in the Wa community form a new perspective. Through the study of the three aspects, it is concluded that the reasons why wood drums have played such a crucial role in the Wa community are mainly derived form the primitive society the Wa nationality was in and its surroundings. Therefore, to exploite the wood drum of the Wa nationality can not only protect the nation’s traditional culture but can also improve its tourism economy.

scholarly journals Trust in government in times of economic crisis

2016 ◽  
pp. 111-126
Author(s):  
Robert Sobiech
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Evaluation ◽  
Public Debates ◽  
The Government

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the existing studies concerning the phenomenon of public trust in government. Low trust in government has been frequently defined as a key problem influencing the policy process in many countries. The economic crises reinforced the importance of trust and triggered public debates on the necessary reforms of the public sector. The paper examines the key theories and research conducted by social scientists with a particular emphasis on the role of trust in risk societies. The review of the existing literature concentrates on the drivers of trust, showing the importance of two interlinked logics: the logic of consequences (the performance approach) and the logic of appropriateness (the process approach). The first one explains trust as a result of outputs and outcomes of government policies and services. The logic of appropriateness claims that trust is built on values and identity and depends on the adoption by governments the rules of integrity, openness, responsiveness and transparency. Trust in government is also deeply rooted in a broader system of rules, norms andvalues known as the trust culture. The last part of the paper is an attempt to trace an impact of an economic crisis on public trust. Studies of public opinion do not fully confirm the opinions on low trust and a decline in trust in government and trust in public administration in times of crisis. Some studies reveal considerable fluctuations of public trust in selected countries. In other countries, the public evaluation of government and public administration is high and there are only slight modifications in citizens’ perception of the government.

scholarly journals Considering the academy: academics, public intellectuals and activism

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. E
Author(s):  
Emma Weitkamp
Keyword(s):  
Public Intellectuals ◽  
The Public ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Public Role ◽  
Public Debates

Reflecting on the public role of academics, this issue of JCOM includes a set of commentaries exploring public intellectuals and intellectualism. The commentaries explore the role of academics in public debates, both as bringers of facts and passion. These pieces, together with past commentaries and letters to JCOM raise interesting questions about the role of academics in public debates that are, perhaps not those usually trodden in the academic literature.

scholarly journals Valuing the Engaged Work of the Professoriate: Reflections on Ernest Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Allen Wendling
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Academic Institution ◽  
The Public ◽  
Promotion And Tenure ◽  
Public Nature ◽  
History Of ◽  
Scholarship Reconsidered

This article discusses faculty engaged teaching and research as an imperative function of the academic institution in the 21st century.  Reflecting on Ernest Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered, this article traces the history of the public nature of higher education and its role within institutions today and discusses the crucial role of promotion and tenure in advancing the engaged work of faculty.

Dewey and Public Philosophy

2018 ◽  
pp. 696-712
Author(s):  
Noëlle McAfee
Keyword(s):  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Public Intellectuals ◽  
Public Philosophy ◽  
The Public

Of late many philosophers have taken up the mantle of public philosophy, but, unlike Dewey, many think that the goal is to perform philosophy in public, to broadcast widely their arguments, or become renowned as public intellectuals. Many aim to improve the public, to help people think more rationally and critically, argue more deliberatively and logically, and perhaps see the light about philosophical matters. But Dewey shows that none of such work is democratic, for it usurps the role of a public to identify problems and their sources and skips over any need for public deliberation on what should be done. From a Deweyan perspective, the key for public philosophy is to remember that public problems are best fathomed by the public itself, which may enlist experts or governments to fix the problems but alone is the best judge of what needs to be addressed and whether the remedy is successful.

scholarly journals PERAN BADAN PERMUSYAWARATAN DESA DALAM MEWUJUDKAN PEMBENTUKAN PERATURAN DESA YANG PARTISIPATIF DI KABUPATEN LAMPUNG TIMUR

FIAT JUSTISIA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahadi Fajrin Prasetya
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Literary Study ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Figures ◽  
Village Government ◽  
The Village

AbstractThe objective of this research was to find out why the Village Representative Board (BPD) was not yet able to draft participative village regulations in East Lampung district. This was a qualitative research with normative and empirical jurisdiction approaches with literary study, statute approach, case approach and historical approach. Data were collected with the literary study. The results showed that the role of Village Representative Board (BPD) and drafting village regulation has been exercised in a participative way but not optimal because of some factors. The village regulation should be drafted by BPD, but the village regulation was initiated and drafted by Head of Village. BPD lack of knowledge related to their tasks and functions in village legislation, mechanism and process of making participative village regulation, and BPD was less optimal in making synergy with public related to participative village regulation making. The rights of the public in Bojong village has been participative in making village regulation but not optimal as it was regulated Article 96 of Law Number 12 of 2011 on legislation related to public participation rights. The making of village regulation in Bojong so far was conducted with village public deliberation by public figures as public representatives of each sub-villages to deliver public aspiration in making village regulation in Bojong village. Interview results with the chairman of BPD in Bojong village suggested that village deliberation in making village regulation was only a formality because the majority of participants such as public figures, religion figures, youth figures, and members of BPD almost always agreed with any draft of village regulation proposed by village government. Keywords: Village Representative Board (BPD), village regulation, participativeAbstrakTujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui mengapa Badan Permusyawaratan Desa (BPD) belum mampu menyusun peraturan desa yang partisipatif di Kabupaten Lampung Timur. Ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan yuridis normatif dan empiris pendekatan dengan studi sastra, pendekatan undang-undang, pendekatan kasus dan pendekatan historis. Data dikumpulkan dengan studi sastra. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peran Badan Permusyawaratan Desa (BPD) dan penyusunan peraturan desa telah dilakukan dengan cara partisipatif tetapi tidak optimal karena beberapa faktor. Peraturan desa harus disusun oleh BPD, tapi peraturan desa yang digagas dan dirancang oleh Kepala Desa. BPD kurangnya pengetahuan yang berkaitan dengan tugas dan fungsi mereka dalam undang-undang desa, mekanisme dan proses pembuatan peraturan desa partisipatif, dan BPD kurang optimal dalam membuat sinergi dengan masyarakat terkait partisipatif pembuatan peraturan desa. Hak-hak masyarakat di Desa Bojong telah partisipatif dalam membuat peraturan desa tetapi tidak optimal seperti yang diatur Pasal 96 UU Nomor 12 Tahun 2011 tentang undang-undang yang berkaitan dengan hak-hak partisipasi publik. Pembuatan peraturan desa di Bojong sejauh dilakukan dengan desa musyawarah publik oleh tokoh-tokoh masyarakat sebagai perwakilan masyarakat dari masing-masing sub desa untuk menyampaikan aspirasi masyarakat dalam membuat peraturan desa di Desa Bojong. Hasil wawancara dengan ketua BPD di Desa Bojong menyarankan bahwa musyawarah desa dalam membuat peraturan desa hanya formalitas, karena mayoritas peserta seperti tokoh masyarakat, tokoh agama, tokoh pemuda, dan anggota BPD hampir selalu setuju dengan rancangan peraturan desa diusulkan oleh pemerintah desa. Kata Kunci: Badan Permusyawaratan Desa (BPD), Peraturan Desa, Partisipatif

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