Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation
REVIEW
Is participation as citizens in a nation all about voting, supporting political parties and singing Negaraku? Hardly.
Citizen participation happens when you and I are exercising our rights as citizens to influence the decision-making process within the government structure. In fact, exercising our citizenship is participating in the sharing of power with government. The term can be used interchangeably with others such as "public participation" and "citizen involvement".
How successful this is in achieving outcomes really depends on how well both citizens and government collaborate with each other.
Sherry Arnstein, an American social work professional, believes in empowering individuals and communities by involving them directly in planning and decision-making in the public arena. This could be in public schools, a housing programme, a recycling programme, and other specific matters of different project sizes.
She published an article that is now considered a classic titled "A Ladder of Citizen Participation". In particular, she focuses on the inclusion of the poor, powerless and have-nots in citizen participation as necessary to define and solve community issues. The full article can be downloaded here.
Non participation
1. Manipulation happens when people are given seats in rubberstamp advisory committees or boards in order to "educate" them or engineer their support. This is an illusory form of participation, where government convince citizens to accept their plans, rather than the other way around.
2. Therapy takes place when government takes action to "cure" participants of certain conditions that were a result of powerlessness through counselling. For example, programmes for public housing tenants to help them to "adjust their values and attitudes" to match the larger society; while not attending to other matters for their welfare.
Tokenism
3. Informing is empowerment when citizens are told of their rights and responsibilities and options for participation. However, a one-way flow from officials to citizens does not allow the latter to influence the programmes designed for them.
4. Consultation takes place in activities such as attitude surveys, neighbourhood meetings and public hearings. However, if consultation does not feed into the actual decision-making process, it can become mere window dressing.
5. Placating happens when the poor or powerless are placed on decision-making boards, being allowed to give advise or plan, at the discretion of those in power.
Citizen Power
6. Partnership is a relationship where power is redistributed through negotiation between citizens and those in power. Such a relationship can be seen clearly in structures such as joint policy boards, planning committees, where decision-making is shared. This can work effectively through an organised power-base in the community.
7. Delegated power happens when citizens have a dominant decision making power over a specific programme or plan. This is practised in very few cities including Cambridge, Massachusetts; Dayton and Columbus, Ohio; to name a few.
8. Citizen control is virtually unattainable, but is an ideal that Arnstein suggests. Basically on this rung, citizens are able to govern a program or institution, be in charge of policy and managerial aspects and able to negotiate any changes that outsiders may desire. However, things can get out of hand when it becomes costly and less efficient, or when embittered citizens attempt control without resources.
How much do you partipate in citizen activities?
Which rung would you place those citizen activities you are involved in?
Do you need to advocacy greater citizen involvement in public decision-making where you are now?
Contact us if you would like to talk to like-minded people about citizen participation (citizensnetworkMY@gmail.com)
Reference:
Arnstein, S. (1969). A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners.
