| This project uses the concept of structuration from social theory to articulate a model of the dynamics that occur within face-to-face deliberative contexts. It argues that such a model is necessary for several reasons. First, a fundamental obstacle to research about deliberation is the absence of a framework that can guide observations and orient appropriate research questions. Second, the structurational approach builds a theory of power into the model of deliberation, addressing a central weakness in the work on deliberative democracy. Understanding the role of power and inequality in deliberative processes is especially important because the very potential of deliberation to be democratic rests on the ability of participants to secure and effectively exercise equal political standing. The model outlines four specific components of deliberation that are structured, and identifies layers of social and individual forces that determine the structural components. The dissertation argues that the potential for deliberation to be democratic rests not on the elimination of power or inequality, but on the ability of participants to consciously consider the structures, and structuring forces, of deliberation and to alter them when necessary. |
