Creating Spaces of Engagement: Policy Justice and the Practical Craft of Deliberative Democracy

There is a growing need for public buy-in if democratic processes are to run smoothly. But who exactly is "the public"? What does their engagement in policy-making processes look like? How can our understanding of "the public" be expanded to include – or be led by – diverse voices and experiences, particularly of those who have been historically marginalized? And what does this expansion mean not only for public policies and their development, but for how we teach policy? Drawing upon public engagement case studies, sites of inquiry, and vignettes, this volume raises and responds to these and other questions while advancing policy justice as a framework for public engagement and public policy. Stretching the boundaries of deliberative democracy in theory and practice, Creating Spaces of Engagement offers critical reflections on how diverse publics are engaged in policy processes.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Why Create Spaces of Engagement? Connecting Theory, Policy, and Practice Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa Part One: Across Disciplines and Beyond the Academy: Stretching Deliberative Democratic Theory 1. Revelatory Protest, Deliberative Exclusion, and the B.C. Missing Women Commission of Inquiry: Bridging the Micro/Macro Divide Genevieve Fuji Johnson, Simon Fraser University 2. The Alberta Energy Futures Lab: A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Transition Through Public Engagement Stephen Williams, Energy Futures Lab 3. Deliberative Democracy and Collective Impact: Seeing and Believing Shared Outcomes and Shared Participation Ellen Szarleta, Indiana University Northwest 4. Northern Women’s Conceptualizations of Wellbeing: Engaging in the "Right" Policy Conversations Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Jacqueline Gillis, University of Guelph 5. Unsettled Democracy: The Case of the Grandview-Woodlands Citizen Assembly Rachel Magnusson, City of Vancouver 6. Opening to the Possible: Girls and Women with Disabilities Engaging in Vietnam Deborah Stienstra, University of Guelph and Xuan Thuy Nguyen, Carleton University Part Two: Centring Voices from the Margins: Expanding and Evaluating Engagement Practices 7. How OpenMedia.ca Has Used Social Media to Engage Thousands in "Policy Hacking" for Regulatory Reforms at the CRTC and Other Government Bodies Tara Mahoney, Simon Fraser University 8. An Experiment in Engaging the "Heart and Mind": Building Community Capacity on Post-Secondary Campuses Catriona Remocker, University of Victoria, Tim Dyck, University of Victoria, and Dan Reist, University of Victoria 9. Art-Full Methods of Democratic Participation: Listening, Engagement, and Connection Joanna Ashworth, Simon Fraser University 10. Power, Privilege, and Policy-Making: Reflections on "Changing Public Engagement from the Ground Up" Alana Cattapan, University of Waterloo, April Mandrona, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Tammy Findlay, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Saint Mary’s University 11. Engaging with Women in Low-Income: Implications for Government-Convened Public Engagement Initiatives and Deliberative Democracy Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph Part Three: Effective and Affective Spaces of Deliberation 12. The heART of Engagement: Experiences of a Community-Created Mobile Art Gallery in Brazil Bruno de Oliviera Jayme, Royal Roads University 13. Temporary Labour Migrants’ Engagement and (Dis)engagement with the Policy Process Ethel Tungohan, York University 14. Storytelling as Engagement: Learning from Youth Voices in Attawapiskat Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa 15. Making Spaces for Truth: Exploring the Lived Meanings of Deliberating Reconciliation in Higher Education Derek Tannis, Saskatchewan Polytechnic 16. Global Development Agendas with Local Relevance? "Glocal" Approaches, Tensions, and Lessons on Measuring Aid Effectiveness Astrid Pérez Piñán, University of Victoria Conclusion: Concluding Reflections on Policy Justice Deliberative Democracy, Citizen Participation, and the Future of Policy-Making Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa

About the Author :
Leah R. E. Levac is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph. Sarah Marie Wiebe is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawai'i, Mānoa.