Deliberative Democracy, Public Participation and Community Problem Solving: A Case Study of Nong-Or SAO, Srisatchanalai District, Sukhothai Province
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Published
Jul 24, 2022
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Abstract
The main objective of this study is to foster high levels of public participation in the community in order to promote a better quality of life in nine villages in Nong-Or Sub-district Administrative Organization, Srisatchanalai District, Sukhothai Province. The idea of deliberative democracy was employed as a core principle of the study. The research methodology, process, and tools were carefully designed, implemented, and conducted through research collaboration and various sectors in the communities. Frequency and measures of central tendency were used for quantitative data analysis. Analytic induction was used for qualitative data analysis to interpret and create conclusions based on data obtained from the research tools. It is revealed that, by employing the study’s four main tools namely: 1) Governance Snapshot Assessment, 2) Community Score Cards, 3) Budget Literacy, and 4) Action, this research could make a change for the better in all villages. The results of quantitative data analysis and all the study’s tools make clear that the problems of insufficient water, unhealthy drinking water, career supplement requirements, frequent power outages, and facilities and exercise equipment demand have been acknowledged, discussed, and resolved by active cooperation. This study suggests that governmental agencies apply research tools in the process of policymaking and policy implementation. It is hoped that both the public sector and villagers would have more knowledge and skills to employ meaningful deliberative democracy which can be used to solve the communities’ problems. More importantly, government agencies could be able to solve problems and respond to people’s needs more efficiently.
Keywords: Social Resolution, Participatory Processes, Public Participation, Local Problem Solving, Thailand
References
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Blair, H. (2000). Participation and Accountability at the Periphery: Democratic Local Governance in Six Countries. World Development, 28(1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00109-6
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Chambers, S. (2003). Deliberative Democratic Theory. Annual Review of Political Science, 6(1), 307-326. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.6.121901.085538
Delhey, J., & Newton, K. (2003). Who Trusts? The Origins of Social Trust in Seven Societies. European Societies, 5(2), 93-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461669032000072256
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Ikeda, K., & Kobayashi, T. (2007). The Influence of Social Capital on Political Participation in the Cultural Context of Asia. In A Comparative Survey of Democracy, Governance and Development (pp. 1-34). Taipei: Asian Barometer Project Office, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica. Retrieved from http://www.asianbarometer.org/publications//5debadfc6f6bb544d1e2810e43a39d99.pdf
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Minkler, M. (2000). Using Participatory Action Research to Build Healthy Communities. Public Health Reports, 115(2/3), 191-197. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308710/pdf/pubhealthrep00022-0089.pdf
Mitchell, B. (2005). Participatory Partnerships: Engaging and Empowering to Enhance Environmental Management and Quality of Life? Social Indicators Research, 71(1/3), 123-144. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/27522177
Nel, E. (2004). Evolving Participatory Governance and Developmental Local Government in Post-apartheid South Africa. In W. R. Lovan, M. Murray, & R. Shaffer (Eds.), Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision-Making in Civil Society. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Parkinson, J. (2003). Legitimacy Problems in Deliberative Democracy. Political Studies, 51(1), 180-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.00419
Sanchez-Betancourt, D., & Vivier, E. (2019). Action and Community-based Research: Improving Local Governance Practices through the Community Scorecard. In S. Laher, A. Fynn, & S. Kramer (Eds.), Transforming Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Case Studies from South Africa (pp. 375-392). Johannesburg: Wits University Press. Retrieved from http://repository.hsrc.ac.za/handle/20.500.11910/13771
Smith, G. (2009). Democratic Innovations: Designing Institutions for Citizen Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511609848
Suksawas, W., Soithong, P., & Mayer, P. (2018). Modernization, Social Capital and Public Participation in the Creation of Self-management Charter in Thailand. Advanced Science Letters, 24(4), 2185-2189. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2018.10913
Uhlaner, C. J., Cain, B. E., & Kiewiet, D. R. (1989). Political Participation of Ethnic Minorities in the 1980s. Political Behavior, 11(3), 195-231. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/586152
Weeks, E. C. (2000). The Practice of Deliberative Democracy: Results from four Large-scale Trials. Public Administration Review, 60(4), 360-372. https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00098
Wegelin, E. A. (2002). Thailand: Decentralization Capacity Assessment, Finding, and Recommendations, Capacity Building Project. Washington: Office of the Decentralization to Local Government Organization Committee and The World Bank.
Björkman, M., & Svensson, J. (2009). Power to the People: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Community-Based Monitoring in Uganda. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(2), 735-769. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40506242
Blair, H. (2000). Participation and Accountability at the Periphery: Democratic Local Governance in Six Countries. World Development, 28(1), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00109-6
Bohman, J. (1998). Survey Article: The Coming of Age of Deliberative Democracy. The Journal of Political Philosophy, 6(4), 400-425. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9760.00061
Booysen, S. (2011). Participation and Power through Cooperation, Complicity and Co-optation. In The African National Congress and the Regeneration of Political Power (pp. 174-208). Johannesburg: Wits University Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.18772/12011115423.8
Button, M., & Mattson, K. (1999). Deliberative Democracy in Practice: Challenges and Prospects for Civic Deliberation. Polity, 31(4), 609-637. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3235238?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Cavaye, J. (2004). Governance and Community Engagement – The Australian Experience. In W. R. Lovan, M. Murray, & R. Shaffer (Eds.), Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision Making in Civil Society (pp. 85-102). UK: Ashgate Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268254917_Governance_and_Community_Engagement_-The_Australian_Experience
Chambers, S. (2003). Deliberative Democratic Theory. Annual Review of Political Science, 6(1), 307-326. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.6.121901.085538
Delhey, J., & Newton, K. (2003). Who Trusts? The Origins of Social Trust in Seven Societies. European Societies, 5(2), 93-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461669032000072256
Dryzek, J. S., & Niemeyer, S. (2008). Discursive Representation. American Political Science Review, 102(4), 481-493. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055408080325
Hadenius, A. (Ed.). (2004). Social Capital and Democracy: Institutional and Social Preconditions. New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Ikeda, K., & Kobayashi, T. (2007). The Influence of Social Capital on Political Participation in the Cultural Context of Asia. In A Comparative Survey of Democracy, Governance and Development (pp. 1-34). Taipei: Asian Barometer Project Office, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica. Retrieved from http://www.asianbarometer.org/publications//5debadfc6f6bb544d1e2810e43a39d99.pdf
Krueathep, W. (2004). Local Government Initiatives in Thailand: Cases and Lessons Learned. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 26(2), 217-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2004.10779294
Leumann, S., Heumann, M., Syed, F., & Aprea, C. (2016). Towards a Comprehensive Financial Literacy Framework: Voices from Stakeholders in European Vocational Education and Training. In E. Wuttke, J. Seifried, & S. Schumann (Eds.), Research in Vocational Education Volume 3: Economic Competence and Financial Literacy of Young Adults. Status and Challenges (pp. 19-40). Toronto: Verlag Barbara Budrich. Retrieved from https://www.pedocs.de/volltexte/2016/12165/pdf/Wuttke_Seifried_2016_Economic_competence_and_financial_literacy.pdf#page=20
Lovan, W. R., Murray, M., & Shaffer, R. (2004). Participatory Governance in a Changing World. In W. R. Lovan, M. Murray, & R. Shaffer (Eds.), Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision Making in Civil Society (pp. 1-21). Aldershot: Ashgate Publication.
MacDonald, C. (2012). Understanding Participatory Action Research: A Qualitative Research Methodology Option. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 13(2), 34-50. Retrieved from https://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/article/view/37
Mihalčová, B., Csikósová, A., & Antošová, M. (2014). Financial Literacy–The Urgent Need Today. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109, 317-321. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.464
Minkler, M. (2000). Using Participatory Action Research to Build Healthy Communities. Public Health Reports, 115(2/3), 191-197. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308710/pdf/pubhealthrep00022-0089.pdf
Mitchell, B. (2005). Participatory Partnerships: Engaging and Empowering to Enhance Environmental Management and Quality of Life? Social Indicators Research, 71(1/3), 123-144. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/27522177
Nel, E. (2004). Evolving Participatory Governance and Developmental Local Government in Post-apartheid South Africa. In W. R. Lovan, M. Murray, & R. Shaffer (Eds.), Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision-Making in Civil Society. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Parkinson, J. (2003). Legitimacy Problems in Deliberative Democracy. Political Studies, 51(1), 180-196. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.00419
Sanchez-Betancourt, D., & Vivier, E. (2019). Action and Community-based Research: Improving Local Governance Practices through the Community Scorecard. In S. Laher, A. Fynn, & S. Kramer (Eds.), Transforming Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Case Studies from South Africa (pp. 375-392). Johannesburg: Wits University Press. Retrieved from http://repository.hsrc.ac.za/handle/20.500.11910/13771
Smith, G. (2009). Democratic Innovations: Designing Institutions for Citizen Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511609848
Suksawas, W., Soithong, P., & Mayer, P. (2018). Modernization, Social Capital and Public Participation in the Creation of Self-management Charter in Thailand. Advanced Science Letters, 24(4), 2185-2189. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2018.10913
Uhlaner, C. J., Cain, B. E., & Kiewiet, D. R. (1989). Political Participation of Ethnic Minorities in the 1980s. Political Behavior, 11(3), 195-231. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/586152
Weeks, E. C. (2000). The Practice of Deliberative Democracy: Results from four Large-scale Trials. Public Administration Review, 60(4), 360-372. https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00098
Wegelin, E. A. (2002). Thailand: Decentralization Capacity Assessment, Finding, and Recommendations, Capacity Building Project. Washington: Office of the Decentralization to Local Government Organization Committee and The World Bank.
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Research Articles
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How to Cite
SOITHONG, Parinya.
Deliberative Democracy, Public Participation and Community Problem Solving: A Case Study of Nong-Or SAO, Srisatchanalai District, Sukhothai Province.
Journal of Community Development Research (Humanities and Social Sciences), [S.l.], v. 15, n. 3, p. 1-14, july 2022.
ISSN 2985-0231.
Available at: <https://www.journal.nu.ac.th/JCDR/article/view/Vol-15-No-3-2022-1-14>. Date accessed: 30 apr. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.14456/jcdr-hs.2022.21.