Intersectional Spaces of Participation: Inclusive, Resilient, Embedded

Background

Representative democracy is undergoing a deep crisis of legitimacy. Climate assemblies, participatory budgeting, and civic tech are examples of democratic innovations that connect the voices of everyday people to decision-makers (Smith 2009; Geißel and Newton 2012; Elstub and Escobar 2019). On the one hand, these participatory and deliberative democracy (PDD) processes are celebrated for their potential in addressing political distrust and polarisation by deepening public engagement. On the other hand, they are accused of being cosmetic solutions to deep-seated problems that continue to exclude already disempowered groups (along socioeconomic, gender, racial, physical, and mental ability lines).

INSPIRE sets out to tackle these issues and failures by creating participatory spaces that are: inclusive, starting from the needs and assets of marginalised groups; resilient to changes in government and developing upon existing grassroots work to support community resilience; and adaptively embedded within the wider public sphere and in productive relationships with policymaking institutions.

Aims 

The project aims to:

• Assess past and current participatory deliberative processes through an intersectional lens to identify the explanatory factors that facilitate and/or hinder inclusion/ exclusion patterns.
• Investigate the constraints and affordances generated by the interplay between social, economic and political conditions in the configuration and development of participatory assemblages.
• Co-design and co-deliver intersectionally-inclusive participatory assemblages through engagement with disempowered groups.
• Coproduce new learning and action with public officials, citizens and a range of stakeholders to inform a more inclusive, and yet pragmatic, approach to participatory design and practice.

Project Funder & Duration

INSPIRE is funded under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society programme, Horizon Europe, from April 2024 - March 2027.

Contact

Dr Catherine Forde (Irish PI), School of Applied Social Studies, UCC (c.forde@ucc.ie) 

Details on the project consortium are available on the Cordis website at the following link: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101132292