Send message to Authors

Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the knowledge-power nexus in participatory practices, analysing democratic innovations and participatory development in Global South and Global North contexts. Through four case studies, it explores how participatory approaches challenge or perpetuate knowledge hierarchies.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the relationship between knowledge and power in participatory practices, focusing on democratic innovations and participatory development approaches. Drawing on two distinct but interconnected literatures—democratic innovations, primarily rooted in governance practices of the Global North, and participatory development, centred on the Global South—this study explores the dynamics of knowledge hierarchies and their implications for power redistribution. By analysing four illustrative case studies, the paper critically examines how participatory practices engage with knowledge and power, highlighting both their transformative potential and their limitations.

The cases include democratic innovations in the UK and Kenya, where participatory governance often circulates knowledge but rarely disrupts entrenched power structures. Conversely, participatory development examples from India and co-creation practices in international development highlight efforts to centre local knowledge, while grappling with persistent power asymmetries. These examples reveal tensions between the inclusion of marginalised voices and the continued dominance of external expertise and institutional actors.

Through these cases, the paper investigates how participatory practices can challenge or reinforce knowledge hierarchies, questioning whether they truly transform governance and development processes or replicate existing inequalities. The analysis underscores the importance of distinguishing between ‘induced’ and ‘intrinsic’ participation, as well as the role of co-creation in fostering more equitable knowledge and power dynamics. Ultimately, the paper identifies key mechanisms and evidence gaps, offering insights for interdisciplinary learning and the design of participatory practices that genuinely redistribute power and agency.