Deliberative ecologies: a relational critique of deliberative systems

This paper advocates a move beyond the systemic approach in the field of Deliberative Democracy. It argues that the notion of deliberative ecology can deliver the necessary conceptual elements that deliberative democrats seek in deliberative systems without some of the problems they either overlook...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Mendonça, Ricardo Fabrino, Veloso, Lucas Henrique Nigri, Magalhães, Bruno Dias, Motta, Filipe Mendes, -, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6759-6249, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Fundação João Pinheiro
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2024
Country:Brasil
Institution:Fundação João Pinheiro (FJP)
Repository:Repositório Institucional da Fundação João Pinheiro
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.fjp.mg.gov.br:123456789/4052
Online Access:http://repositorio.fjp.mg.gov.br/handle/123456789/4052
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773923000358
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Democratic theory
Deliberative democracy
Deliberative systems
Deliberative ecologies
Theories of complexity
Relational sociology
Description
Summary:This paper advocates a move beyond the systemic approach in the field of Deliberative Democracy. It argues that the notion of deliberative ecology can deliver the necessary conceptual elements that deliberative democrats seek in deliberative systems without some of the problems they either overlook or embrace. To advocate the advantages of an ecological perspective to deliberation, the article focuses on six axes of comparison: (i) performances of actants (instead of functions of arenas and players); (ii) articulations and translations (instead of transmission); (iii) vulnerabilities (instead of pathologies and dysfunctions); (iv) practice (instead of institutionally-oriented design); (v) diverse temporalities (instead of linear temporality) and; (vi) hologram-based analysis (instead of systemic analysis). In a nutshell, the article claims that the ecological approach to deliberation has the advantage of conceptualizing an ever-changing web of relations of interdependency, which connects diverse entities that are either relevant to a public discussion or that hinder its enactment.