Chicago Area Project - ett exempel på hur deltagardemokrati kan genomföras?
CriminologyPolitical scienceParticipatory democracyChicago schoolYouth delinquencyPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
There are lots of theories about participatory democracy, but rather few examples of how to create it in practice. In the 1930´s, scientists at the Chicago School, implemented some projects within the Chicago Area Project, with the aim to decrease the youth delinquency in the socio disadvantaged areas surrounding Chicago. In this thesis, I assess wether these projects, and in particular the one at the Russell Square Area, have some common features with the thoughts of two of the most famous participatory democrats, Carole Pateman and Benjamin Barber. My question is if the Chicago Area Project could be seen as an experiment in participatory democracy. I find that participatory democrats could benefit from the experiences of the Chicago Area Project. Most importantly, it seems possible to organize people without little previous experience of political activity. However, the project was not a perfect example of participatory democracy, since the participants appear to have had too little power over the project.