A critical philosophical analysis of participatory democracy in South Africa

Abstract

Participatory democracy enables the citizenry to meaningfully influence political decisions. Viewed in this way, the participatory process is a civic activity in which constituents inform, collaborate and reflect on policies, legislation and administrative action. Whereas in theory public participation is extremely promising, the real-life experience of communities has been overwhelmingly negative. In this regard, public participation discourse emphasises an asymmetrical power dynamic that makes citizens feel inferior, unheard and disregarded. This study mobilises Foucault's concept of disciplinary power, postcolonial theory, Judith Butler's concept of subjectivation and Arendt's philosophical corpus, to elucidate and navigate the power imbalance in participatory democracy. By mobilising Foucault's concept of disciplinary power, I shed light on the coercive nature of political customs that have to be carried out when South Africans participate in political decision-making. I draw upon postcolonial theory to argue that political custom is used to make the masses feel inferior and as though their input does not matter in the participatory process. The power imbalance makes the contemporary South African landscape inherently exploitative. Butler's concept of subjectivation provides insight into how docility and colonial narrative manifest in the psyche, resulting in South Africans who are psychically devoted to our own subjection. Arendt's concepts of totalitarian masses, political revolution, public happiness, political action and thinking, willing and judgement, as well as violence, shed light on the power imbalance inherent in public participation, as well as articulate my concept of transformative public dialogue. I offer a reconceptualisation of power that transforms participatory democracy into a public dialogue that is open to new perspectives, recognises marginalised groups, elevates minority voices, and is open-ended, flexible, deliberative and inclusive.