[ecrea] CALL FOR PAPERS METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN PARTICIPATION RESEARCH

> CALL FOR PAPERS
> METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN PARTICIPATION RESEARCH
>
>                                          Córdoba, Spain, 4-5 November 2011
>
>
>
> Organisers:
>
> Joan Font (IESA, CSIC)
> Donatella della Porta (IUE)
> Yves Sintomer (Université Paris-8)
>
>
> Why this colloquium?
>
> Research on participation processes developed by 
> democratic institutions has grown considerably 
> in recent decades. There have been substantial 
> contributions from both a normative perspective 
> as well as in empirical research. The gap 
> between the two continues to be important, but 
> there are more theoretically driven empirical 
> contributions and more empirically documented 
> normative proposals. Specific research, books 
> and international events have been devoted to 
> evaluating the development of these processes 
> and to assessing their deliberative qualities or their democratic consequences.
>
> Most of the influential research on the subject 
> has been based on case studies related to 
> specific experiences that have contributed 
> decisively to our knowledge and understanding of 
> participatory processes. The evaluation of 
> participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, 
> Deliberative Opinion Polls in Denmark, policy 
> specific neighborhood councils in Chicago and 
> citizen assemblies in Canada or New England have 
> generated some of the most interesting 
> conclusions regarding what participation can deliver (and what it cannot).
>
> The use of quantitatively oriented methodologies 
> has also been incorporated in some of these case 
> studies. This approach has been particularly 
> evident in research about deliberation or about 
> attitudes towards participatory processes, where 
> general population surveys have also been used 
> as crucial sources. The practice of enlarging 
> the number of cases to be studied to include a 
> set of similar experiences according to 
> nationality and /or methodological characteristics has also become more common.
>
> However, there has been no assessment regarding 
> where we are from a methodological point of 
> view. How much can we learn from these 
> approaches? Are there other methodologies that 
> have been neglected and that should be 
> incorporated? Can we rely on official sources 
> and existing reports or do we assume that no 
> relevant information can be produced without 
> field work? Is there any evidence that empathy 
> resulting from long field work has biased our 
> results? What can experimental designs teach us 
> about the effects of deliberation? Can we learn 
> anything about attitudinal transformation without the use of longitudinal data?
>
> Methodological options also have substantive 
> consequences. Is it possible that our chosen 
> methodologies produce certain biases in our 
> research agenda, leading us to miss important 
> problems because they are difficult to measure, 
> or strongly emphasizing others just because data 
> is easily accessible? We are concerned about 
> methodology, though not only with issues of 
> methodological rigor, but also for its possible 
> impact on the conclusions of our research.
>
>
> These are only a few of the questions we would 
> like to address during the colloquium. 
> Contributions from neighboring research areas 
> such as political behavior, evaluation of public 
> policies or regarding deliberative qualities in 
> non-participatory processes can also decisively 
> contribute to our understanding of the problems 
> and potentials of each methodological approach.
>
> We welcome any contribution that focuses on 
> these methodological challenges. General 
> methodological assessments from consolidated 
> researchers and contributions from young 
> researchers working on their PhD are welcomed. 
> Empirical papers using any kind of methodology 
> or providing a critical assessment of the 
> advantages/problems of any methodological approach are especially welcome.
>
> The goal of the colloquium is to gather together 
> a small number of people working in these 
> fields. The colloquium will include several 
> sessions where papers will be presented and 
> discussed, as well two plenary lectures. A 
> selection of the papers presented will be 
> published in a monograph volume of an ISI indexed journal.
>
>
>
> Practical information:
>
> ·         Deadline for proposals: March 15
> ·         Proposals: maximum 1 page abstract, in 
> English, with brief CV of the authors
> ·          Notification of papers accepted by April 30
> ·         Final papers must be received by October 10th
> ·         A selection of the papers presented in 
> the colloquium will become a monograph of the 
> journal Revista Internacional de Sociologia, an 
> ISI indexed CSIC journal. Articles can be published in English or Spanish.
> ·         Participants must arrange and pay for 
> travel and accommodation. IESA will provide a 
> list of convenient hotel locations and pay for at least one dinner.
> ·         Contact: 
> <mailto:(iesa_jornadasparticipacion2011 /at/ iesa.csic.es)>(iesa_jornadasparticipacion2011 /at/ iesa.csic.es)
>
>
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>
> Yves Sintomer
> Professeur des Universités
> UMR CRESPPA
> CNRS/Universite de Paris 8
> 59-61 rue Pouchet
> 75849 Paris Cedex 17
> Tel: +33 (0)14025 1133
> <www.sintomer.htm>www.sintomer.net
>
> Chercheur invité, Université de Neuchâtel 
> (Institut de Sociologie) ; chercheur associé au Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin.

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Nico Carpentier (Phd)
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Free University of Brussels
Centre for Studies on Media and Culture (CeMeSO)
Pleinlaan 2 - B-1050 Brussels - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-629.18.56
F: ++ 32 (0)2-629.36.84
Office: 5B.401a
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European Communication Research and Education Association
Web: http://www.ecrea.eu
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E-mail: (Nico.Carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
Web: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
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