Platform participation: Investigating the dynamics of platform uses for citizen engagement and digital democracy by two local councils in the UK

Richards, Anya 2023. Platform participation: Investigating the dynamics of platform uses for citizen engagement and digital democracy by two local councils in the UK. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis examines how digital platforms are used for deliberative and democratic engagement between local government and citizens, how digital participation affects decision making, and the difficulties in doing so. I use an interdisciplinary approach to understand how digital participation is enacted at a local level, by examining how two local authorities use digital platforms to engage with citizens and whether platforms provide deliberative spaces for interaction. My approach is grounded in observable evidence through interviews with politicians, council officers, citizens, and experts. I gained unique insight into the practical issues involved and the importance of organisational and contextual factors in determining the success or failure of efforts for councils and citizens to have more meaningful interactions. Councils are obliged by law to put citizens at the heart of local decision making but, as my findings show, the gulf between that aim and the reality is often wide. Issues that can work against digital engagement include a lack of political will, digital divides and exclusion, power asymmetries, trust and how to use the data gained during participative processes. After investigating those issues, I make a series of practical recommendations for councils aimed at strengthening engagement with citizens. They include the need for digital leadership in councils, for long-term and targeted resourcing of platforms, upskilling of staff and citizens, the protection of users from online abuse and the need to develop collaborative, networked approaches to citizen participation. My research does not seek to directly compare local authorities or to conduct a systematic evaluation of existing platforms. However, it does reveal the benefits of involving citizens in their creation and procurement to develop platforms that are citizen-centric rather than forcing citizens to interact in ways that do not meet their needs. My research points towards an ever-increasing dependence on platforms as a means of enacting participative democracy. This platformisation of participation will only grow and my research shows some of the main ways in which that growth can be encouraged and managed in favour of citizens and for better local democracy.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	1 March 2024
Last Modified:	01 Mar 2024 16:51
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/166730

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