Community Engagement: Participation on Whose Terms?

Abstract

Community engagement and citizen participation have long been important themes in liberal democratic theory, although managerial versions of liberal democracy have typically been dominant. In the past two decades, however, many countries have seen a shift away from a managerial or top-down approach, towards a revitalised emphasis on building institutional bridges between governmental leaders and citizenry, often termed ‘community engagement’. This paper outlines some of the main explanations for this shift, including international trends in governance and political economy; the availability of improved communications technologies; the need to share responsibility for resolving complex issues; and the local politics of managing social, economic and environmental projects. Some critical perspectives are also raised, suggesting a degree of scepticism about the intentions of government and implying serious limits on the potential influence of the citizenry and community groups. Important distinctions are drawn between policy arenas, in relation to the different dynamics and opportunities in different policy fields. The importance of building effective capacity for citizens and all non-government organisations (NGOs) to participate is emphasised. Typologies of community engagement are outlined, and linked to ideas about social capital.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian W. Head

Professor Brian W. Head is the inaugural Director of the Institute for Social Science Research, University of Queensland. He has worked in government and the NGO sector in addition to his academic career in public policy and governance studies. This paper is based on a presentation to the international conference on Engaging Communities, Brisbane, August 2005. The author thanks the anonymous reviewers for suggesting many improvements.