Abstract:
This paper critically analyses contemporary claims in favour of citizen participation in the design of education policies. I argue that while the participation of affected stakeholders in policy processes is a longstanding concern, there is a resurgent interest amongst policymakers and researchers in how to increase and improve the participation of citizens in processes of policy design. Participatory governance, co-production, co-creation, strategic design, co-design, and more, form part of a bundle of terms with a strong family resemblance, insofar as they all hinge on a central interest in how participation takes place in the making of public policies. While reflecting different traditions and offering distinct pathways for change, these terms share a normative desire for better and more meaningful forms of citizen participation.
Rather than treating participation as a normative good and critiquing its limits in practice, this theoretical paper adopts a different approach, framing participation as a political technology that enables governments to engender consensus and valorise decision-making processes. In taking this position, my aim is not to argue that participation is entirely meaningless or performative, but instead to argue that dominant modes of participation in education policy serve as powerful techniques for governments to pursue political and policy objectives in ways that can curtail opposition and reduce opportunities for productive dissensus.
Rather than treating participation as a normative good and critiquing its limits in practice, this theoretical paper adopts a different approach, framing participation as a political technology that enables governments to engender consensus and valorise decision-making processes. In taking this position, my aim is not to argue that participation is entirely meaningless or performative, but instead to argue that dominant modes of participation in education policy serve as powerful techniques for governments to pursue political and policy objectives in ways that can curtail opposition and reduce opportunities for productive dissensus.