Abstract
A G1000 is meant for everybody: Participation in Kruiskamp, Amersfoort, the
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, citizens’ summits are employed to provide citizens a
space within the present democratic system. By using a micro lens to study
processes at a G1000 in a neighbourhood in the Dutch city of Amersfoort, we
have gained insights into the course of the programme of the summit. We
analysed how deliberation, group dynamics and (differing) mind-sets affect
communication, the creation of a common ground, and the activation of
citizens. We found that a safe space is required to enable participants to
think out of the box during deliberation. Facilitation by skilled moderators as
well as transparency during the program are seen as preconditions for a
powerful operation. We also found that interference by representatives of
the system world – like (local) government officials – can disturb the group
process based on everyday life principles. Finally, this paper shows that
diversity among participants is not easily reached, if at all. While the aim is to
welcome everyone, there are some implicit values that especially attract the
white middleclass. This makes inclusivity of different social classes, ethnic
backgrounds, religions, and age a challenge that is still difficult to accomplish.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, citizens’ summits are employed to provide citizens a
space within the present democratic system. By using a micro lens to study
processes at a G1000 in a neighbourhood in the Dutch city of Amersfoort, we
have gained insights into the course of the programme of the summit. We
analysed how deliberation, group dynamics and (differing) mind-sets affect
communication, the creation of a common ground, and the activation of
citizens. We found that a safe space is required to enable participants to
think out of the box during deliberation. Facilitation by skilled moderators as
well as transparency during the program are seen as preconditions for a
powerful operation. We also found that interference by representatives of
the system world – like (local) government officials – can disturb the group
process based on everyday life principles. Finally, this paper shows that
diversity among participants is not easily reached, if at all. While the aim is to
welcome everyone, there are some implicit values that especially attract the
white middleclass. This makes inclusivity of different social classes, ethnic
backgrounds, religions, and age a challenge that is still difficult to accomplish.
| Original language | Dutch |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 93-118 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Mens en Maatschappij |
| Volume | 92 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
