Participation

Several years back, I participated in a youth development seminar that focused on how to better develop and implement educational programing that gave “voice” to the fundamental needs of students, along with best practices that promised to increase student participation in programming. The speaker stated that all humans need three basic things: autonomy, power, and recognition. Some individuals may need greater amounts of recognition while others may need more autonomy to be fulfilled. The thesis of the seminar was that students who were provided these principles, constructively in the classroom, would participate in greater numbers, and have equal power behind their voices because their fundamental need would be met.

Consequentially, if students were not provided power, autonomy, or recognition they would go searching for that fulfillment elsewhere in a manner that could be less constructive or healthy. For example, students may look to gain power elsewhere, such as bulling other students, if they are not provided constructive pathways to obtain power in a healthy and productive framework in the classroom setting. This would then ultimately lead to unequal participation and social inequalities within the classroom.

I thought about that this seminar while we read, discussed and analyzed development initiatives. I especially connected it to Belen’s presentation last week. Belen, I loved your presentation! Do you think this classroom context transfer to the development context when analyzing the power or agency behind voices and participation? I see some connections based upon the fact that so much of what we talked about was directly connected situations where basic human principles were/are denied, voices are marginalized and many are ultimately deemed worthless, and an imbalance in who participates in development projects occurs. 

The social construction of power and social status that lies behind voice, and how the lack of voice influences planning decisions by limiting participation and alienating people in the community. Developmental agencies should be who participates in what are already established local development initiatives. Specifically, that development agencies should be made to participate in a community’s own project. Community practice could be a starting point for development interventions.

Esteem and freedom are all common human values that every human society and individual seek to obtain, and development can and should serve as a mechanism to enhance and encourage the growth of these principles. Within the context of development power and control at all levels need to be deconstructed when looking at who and why people participate because power and control can influence the construction around life substance, esteem, and freedom.