Participar porquê e para quê? Reflexões em torno dos efeitos da democracia local na equidade e na legitimidade dos eleitos

This article reflects on local participatory democracy, explaining its emergence in terms of the growing complexity of society and the need to bring decisions closer to the local contexts in which new social needs arise. Taking into account the abundant discourse on participation in the political agenda, which includes concepts of partnership, social networks, governance, etc., it explores the possibility of assessing the practical results of these methods of co-producing public policies. In order to respond to these questions, it is considered necessary to resort to both theoretical and empirical dimensions, emphasising in particular the potential distance between discourse and practice. In sociological terms, it is of interest to understand how conflicts and consensuses are processed in terms of the power relationships that permeate a society or a concrete situation, the positions on conciliation, how social resources are redistributed, and which groups and principles of social justice they favour. In the context of these dynamics, it is important to explain the ways in which collective action is constructed, clarifying the roles of the different actors involved and, in particular, public agents.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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