United Kingdom: eParticipation - Local Issues Discussion Forums... - 2008

What would a socially inclusive discussion forum look like, and how inclusive are existing local issues discussion forums? This paper asserts that one needs to refer to normative conceptions of democracy before it is possible to make such an assessment. It is argued that within the hybridized modes of governance of contemporary local communities, various kinds of intermediation often substitute for direct participation. Their occurrence is demonstrated empirically in an exploratory analysis of three European local issues discussion forums. Advocacy and inclusionary communitybuilding practices allow the voices of socially-excluded groups to be heard, even when they are not present online. This occurs particularly when public goods are the subject of discussion