| CODE | EER1026 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Participatory Processes | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Environmental Education and Research | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit starts by defining participation and a participatory mindset. It then introduces students to Hart's ladder of participation and its usefulness in determining the extent to which one is involved in the process of sharing decisions that affect one's life and one's community. This model is then applied to different groups (i.e. children, youth and adults). Students are then introduced to the principles behind Agenda 21 and other participatory processes. Subsequently they are introduced to various participation techniques that consider every citizen as an active and valid actor in such processes and that are sensitive to the citizens鈥� cultural and social backgrounds, thus helping students avoid the pitfalls of token participation. Techniques covered include both those that are for 福利在线免费 dissemination (such as information desks, Internet and social media, site visits, etc.) and those that are for encouraging input (such as interviews, surveys and public hearings). The unit discusses some potential obstacles to participation as well as ways to get people involved. The links between participation and other cross-cutting issues such as poverty reduction, gender equity, partnership with civil society organizations, and good governance (as outlined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals) are explored. Finally students will be given a basic introduction to Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Study-Unit Aims: This unit aims to help students: (a) adopt a participatory mindset in their work; (b) discover ways of promoting a participatory attitudes in citizens; (c) identify fora that encourage citizen participation; (d) identify specific tools that they can apply to involve people in a problem-solving and/or decision-making process that may interest or affect them. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) define citizen participation; (b) identify the different forms of participation along the participation spectrum; (c) list common obstacles to participation; (d) describe different participatory tools and approaches; (e) explain how participation challenges oppression and discrimination; and (f) critique how power works in enabling or disabling meaningful participation. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) determine opportunities and strategies to promote citizen participation to effect change; (b) assess how to best include poor and marginalized people in problem-solving and/or decision-making processes that interest or affect them; (c) identify age-specific and culturally sensitive tools to encourage active participation; and (d) design monitoring and evaluation interventions in participatory actions. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Nabatchi, T., & Leighninger, M. (2015). Public participation for 21st century democracy. Supplementary Readings: - Aichholzer, G., In Kubicek, H., & In Torres, L. (2016). Evaluating e-participation: Frameworks, practice, evidence. - Chambers, R. (1997). Whose reality counts?: Putting the first last. - Hickey, S. (2004). Participation: From tyranny to transformation - exploring new approaches to participation in development. Zed Books. - IDS. (1996). The power of participation: PRA and policy. https://www.ids.ac.uk/download.php?file=files/dmfile/PB7.pdf - IDS. (2002). Making spaces, changing places: situating participation in development. https://www.powercube.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/making_spaces_changing_places.pdf - Oosterom, M & Scott-Villiers, P. (2016). Power, poverty and inequality. IDS. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/20.500.12413/12673/IDSB_47.5_10.190881968-2016.161.pdf?sequence=4 |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Vincent Caruana Mark C. Mifsud Paul J. Pace |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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