Rethinking Civic Participation in Democratic Theory and Practice

Description

This book makes an important contribution to contemporary debates over the place of civic participation in democratic theory and practice. Drawing on a detailed case study of the Blackbird Leys area of Oxford, the book employs a novel empirical approach to ask whether widespread participation in civic life can enhance the prospects for democracy, given the low levels of participation which tend to exist in deprived areas. Throughout, it presents an account of participation rooted in the history and development of the case, in order to avoid the kinds of abstraction which are characteristic of many existing studies in the area. The book will appeal to scholars working on democratic theory in applied settings, and will be of interest to anyone concerned with inequalities in civic participation. Front Matter ....Pages i-xv The Problem with Civic Participation (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 1-20 Participation and Democracy in Theory and Practice (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 21-45 Participation, Democracy and Neighbourhood Poverty (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 47-72 Participation in Real-World Settings (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 73-96 Democratic Participation in Blackbird Leys (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 97-120 Community Structure, Participation and Social Organisation (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 121-144 Participation and Social Isolation (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 145-167 Responding to Democracy’s Critics (Rod Dacombe)....Pages 169-190 Back Matter ....Pages 191-212