Disseminating and collecting information : municipalities’ communicative practices and deliberative capacities

• This paper aims to critically explore how citizen dialogues are perceived by the municipalities and public servants who implement them. The question is answered using a multi-method approach: a content analysis of 213 self-reports on citizen dialogues from Swedish municipalities and 11 in-depth interviews with public servants working with citizen dialogues in a Swedish municipality. The findings show that citizen dialogues were thought of along three main narratives: information gathering, informing, and inclusion. Together, these narratives indicated a will to enhance informed decision-making. However, combining informed decision-making is with broad participation poses challenges; the authority had to delimit participation, establish structures, educate, define citizens and adapt existing working methods to external stakeholders. The three narratives address this adaptation.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Medievetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Media Studies (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap -- Kommunikationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications -- Communication Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Representation

municipalities

local government

participation

dialogue

media and communication studies

medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)