Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
trialling different techniques that a body of empirical evidence can be
developed and brought to bear upon important issues for the effective
conduct of deliberation, including how power is deployed within rele-
vant processes and how this bears upon the identities and values that
participation in them produces.
93
It is inevitable that there will be a wide
variance in knowledge and deliberative skills in any process that aims to
be inclusive, and particularly one whose purpose is to explore with
individuals from disparate backgrounds whether there is a
'
public
good
outcome on which, notwithstanding their different social and
economic statuses, they would be able to converge.
94
When viewed in
this light, a divergence in capabilities is a necessary feature rather than a
problematic aspect of deliberation. However, to the extent that dif
'
cul-
ties do arise, the indication is that it may be possible to deal with them
through the use of mechanisms that are intended to promote procedural
fairness.
s reach
Doubt has been cast on the claim that deliberative democracy would
promote the adoption of ecological values and a renewed con
6.3.3 Deliberation
'
dence in
government on a suf
cient scale to secure the acceptance of ecological
governance and decisions made under it. A perceived dif
culty is that
deliberative participation is most likely to be effective when the size of
deliberating groups is restricted.
95
Whilst this is seen as necessary
because mass participation would not be conducive to the profound
re
ection on issues that may lead to a transformation of preferences,
the trade off between the quality of deliberation and the numbers of
participants will inevitably constrain deliberation
uence
public attitudes directly. The fact that deliberative procedures usually
involve relatively small groups and that participants are chosen or attend
freely also raises questions about the representativeness of conclusions
reached through them.
96
It is generally accepted that, in practice, it
would not be appropriate for consensus positions formed in deliberation
'
scapacitytoin
93
Owens,
'
Engaging the Public
'
, 1146.
94
Baber and Bartlett,
'
Deliberative Environmental Politics
'
,pp.170
-
1.
95
Meadowcroft,
'
Deliberative Democracy
'
,p.198;Smith,
'
Liberal Democracy
'
,p.147.
96
Meadowcroft,
'
Deliberative Democracy
'
, pp. 198, 201
-
2; Smith,
'
Deliberative
Democracy
'
, p. 91; Lövbrand and Khan,
'
The Deliberative Turn
'
, pp. 48, 55; Smith,
'
Democratic Innovations
'
,p.187.
