Drawing the line: Public involvement processes in coastal protection projects
Translated title
Drawing the line: Borgerinvolveringsprocesser i kystbeskyttelsesprojekter
Authors
Kamstrup, Jeppe Hæstrup ; Nissen, Rasmus Nielsen ; Thorsen, Ann-Sofie Hjelt
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-06-04
Pages
99
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger et kystbeskyttelsesprojekt i Dragør Kommune for at forstå, hvordan bekymringer og argumenter bringes i spil i og omkring borgerinddragelsen, hvilken rolle forskellige vidensformer spiller, og hvilke erfaringer der kan bruges i fremtidige projekter. Dragør behandles som en “ekstrem” case med meget engagerede borgere og en kommune, der investerer mange ressourcer i håb om, at inddragelsen kan hjælpe med at løse en omstridt teknisk og social problemstilling. Metodisk er der tale om et techno‑antropologisk feltstudie, der kombinerer felt- og onlineobservationer, interviews og læsning af tekniske rapporter, analyseret gennem Science and Technology Studies (STS), et felt som undersøger, hvordan viden, teknologi og samfund påvirker hinanden. Ved at stille Callon m.fl.s idé om det “hybride forum” (offentlige rum, hvor fagfolk og borgere mødes om tekniske spørgsmål) over for Jasanoffs begreb om “co‑production” (at viden og social orden skabes sammen) og med inspiration fra Marres’ arbejde med “sager”, identificerer specialet tre typer viden. Når disse vidensformer mødes, kan det både skabe skepsis og bane vej for mere robust vidensproduktion. Resultaterne viser, at udfaldet afhænger af, hvordan inddragelsen er designet, og om borgerne inviteres til at genforhandle projektets rammer og problemforståelser. Specialet fremhæver behovet for gennemsigtighed i borgerinddragelse og anbefaler mere arbejde med at forstå gennemsigtighed under tilblivelsen (“in‑the‑making”) for at styrke fremtidige borgerinddragelsesprojekter.
This thesis examines a coastal protection project in the Danish municipality of Dragør to understand how concerns and arguments are voiced in and around citizen involvement, what roles different kinds of knowledge play, and what lessons can guide future projects. Dragør is treated as an “extreme” case, with highly engaged citizens and a municipality investing substantial resources in the hope that participation can help address a contested technical and social issue. Methodologically, it is a techno‑anthropological field study that combines field and online observations, interviews, and reading of technical reports, analysed through the lens of Science and Technology Studies (STS), a field that explores how knowledge, technology, and society shape one another. By setting Callon et al.’s idea of the “hybrid forum” (public spaces where laypeople and experts meet to debate technical matters) alongside Jasanoff’s idiom of “co‑production” (knowledge and social order are made together), and drawing on Marres’ work on “issues,” the thesis identifies three types of knowledge. When these forms of knowledge meet, they can generate skepticism but also open possibilities for more robust knowledge production. The findings show that outcomes depend on how the involvement is designed and whether citizens are invited to renegotiate how the project is framed. Finally, the thesis argues for greater transparency in citizen involvement and recommends further work on understanding transparency in the making to support future projects.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
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