Phenomenological place-based democracy: A proposal for the analysis of the conflictual and emotional dimensions in local contexts

Abstract

Theories of democracy often neglect the most essential feature about humans: that they are living beings. Rationalist approaches aim to understand the democratic process and find a way in which it can remain stable and uncorrupted (SCHULTZ 2002). Their starting point of analysis is the assumption that human beings differ – to varying degrees – from other animals in their potential capability for discourse and above all for politics. By only focusing on these features, they represent human beings as rational actors with mere objectifiable interests (ENTREKIN 2002). This serves for analysing representative democracy, its participatory voting processes and group interests. Nonetheless, that avoids the complexity of adding irrational and emotional dimensions when it comes to social and political conflicts. Other theories such as radical democracy criticise that, but usually remain theoretical abstractions and do not delve into which concrete practices are or not democratic.

Shifting to phenomenological representations of human beings as sentient beings, Leiber, opens the possibility to reattach democracy to the lifeworld, that is, places that are inevitably imbued with meaning and human practices that in turn affect materiality itself (RELPH 1976). Parallelly, this serves to democratically (re)valorise places and their ongoing (re)creation. Intentional placemaking processes are not only determined by final decisions but also by the human dynamics that take place all along (SEAMON 2018). Even the way in which one propounds and communicates any perspective – unavoidably imbued with emotions – highly shapes such processes.

In this paper, I argue for a more place-based phenomenological approach to democracy that takes the human being’s emotional and conflictive complexity more seriously. I therefore propose to operationalize democratic practices in the five categories acceptance, plurality, agenda setting, genuine dialogue and caring. These shall serve to analyse whether placemaking processes or places themselves are democratic or promote democracy respectively. Especially in local contexts – because of their smaller extension and population – one can more easily analyse the imbrication of emotions in conflictual dynamics and propose adapted alternatives.

Literaturverzeichnis

ENTREKIN, J. N. (2002): Democratic Place-making and Multiculturalism. – Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 84, 1, 19–25.

RELPH, E. C. (1976): Place and placelessness. London: Pion.

SCHULTZ, D. A. (2002): The Phenomenology of Democracy: Putnam, Pluralism, and Voluntary Associations. In: MCLEAN, S. L., D. A. SCHULTZ & M. B. STEGER (Hrsg.). Social capital: Critical perspectives on community and “Bowling alone”. New York: New York University Press, 74–98.

SEAMON, D. (2018): Life takes place: Phenomenology, lifeworlds and place making. New York: Routledge.