Just deliberation: Can communicative rationality support socially just environmental conservation in rural Africa?

Martin, Adrian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2916-7712 and Rutagarama, E. (2012) Just deliberation: Can communicative rationality support socially just environmental conservation in rural Africa? Journal of Rural Studies, 28 (3). pp. 189-198.

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

This article evaluates the use of deliberative methods for filling the democratic deficit arising from the shift to management through partnerships in conservation in developing countries. We ask whether deliberative approaches are feasible in a rural African context and the extent to which they can form a basis for socially just environmental decision making. In answering these questions we focus on two main concerns: the possibility of achieving satisfactory representation and the possibility of constructing counter-factual spaces of deliberation in which identity-based bias is suspended in favour of reasoned argument. Our survey data suggests that participants are themselves satisfied that representation is fair, and that the consensus attained at the end of deliberative events is not the result of domination of more powerful interests. Nevertheless, our more qualitative observations of individuals involved in deliberative events provide stronger cause for caution. It is not possible to leave power and prejudice out of deliberative processes, though well managed spaces of deliberation can temporarily mitigate these and in doing so provide some empowerment to normally marginalised participants.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 16 - peace, justice and strong institutions ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/peace_justice_and_strong_institutions
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development) University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Global Environmental Justice University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	Julie Frith
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2013 11:32
Last Modified:	15 Jun 2023 07:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/40651
DOI:	10.1016/j.jrurstud.2012.02.001

Actions (login required)

View Item