The ‘Black Box’ Problem in the Study of Participation

Abstract

Research on citizen participation has been guided by two core issues: first, the observation of a widening repertory of modes of participation, and second, the argument that participation is not an undifferentiated phenomenon, but must be conceived as an inherently multidimensional reality. In this article, we argue that conventional participation research has focused too one-sidedly on quantitatively expanding the range of types of activities, while the complex dimensionality is not reflected in the measures used. We formulate a methodological critique by using the metaphor of the ‘black box’, which refers to the implicit and unquestioned assumption that distinct types of activities and associations represent homogeneous and consistent realities that do not warrant further analytical decomposition. Surveys of participation allocate individuals to different ‘participation boxes’ by means of a binary logic, leaving a void of what is actually happening inside the boxes. To conclude, we reflect upon the fundamental dilemmas the black box of participation raises for theory and research, and offer conceptual and methodological keys to unlock the participation box.

Keywords:

• Participation
• conceptual developments
• survey research
• methodological critique
• triangulation

Acknowledgements

The idea and core argument of this paper were developed during conversations between the two authors at Karlstad University, Sweden, in April/May 2007. We thank Michele Micheletti for the invitation, and the Department of Political and Historical studies for the financial support, which made this scholarly exchange possible. Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the workshops of the CINEFOGO (CIvil society and NEw FOrms of GOvernance) European Network of Excellence, Work Package 11, which took place in Vienna, September 20–21, 2007 and in The Hague, January 16–17, 2009. We thank the WP11 coordinators and the participants at these meetings, as well as the anonymous reviewers of this journal, for their thoughtful comments and helpful suggestions.

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