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Stephen_oct_2010

Stephen Roblin's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/stephenroblin
Bio: I became political at a young age through my exposure to the daunting problems facing Baltimore city while playing basketball at a west side recreation council. In high school I was introduced to l... (More)

All Roblin Blogs

Pardon the quibbling, but...

By Stephen Roblin at Nov 23, 2010


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...does the term "participation" properly underscore the mission of IOPS? 


The reason I ask is because the term "participation" can be misleading as it does not, in itself, distinguish between empowering and oppressive forms of participation. This may sound like quibbling, but perhaps it's worth considering for a moment (I could be wrong here).

Take markets, they involve considerable participation, even among those who are oppressed by them. The poor for example participate in markets everyday, purchasing basic commodities and/or contributing to production through their work. In fact, market proponents have cited this form of particpation as a reason why they are so "democratic" (certainly a clear debasement of the concept). In their view, no one's left out completely, except in the more extreme cases where individuals have zero dollars to cast their "votes" in  the marketplace. We can take a take a more extreme example, slavery. It's not as if slaves were barred from participating in the system; without their coerced participation, the system would not exist.

The point is that a decent society is not one that simply offers "opportunities" to participate; it allows for forms of democratic, equitable, and self-managed participation, in short, empowering participation. 

To wrap this up, I think a name like Organization for a Democratic Society is more meaningful. But "ODS" as an acronym is awkward, particularly if pronounced phonetically.


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Re

By Stapes, John at Nov 25, 2010 15:54 PM

I actually hesitate to use the word "Participatory" also because it has a lot of syllables.  At least it's relatively new in the political terminology realm, but nonetheless, I continue to try to think of new words that might be a little more palatable.  So far, I haven't been able to think of anything though.  Nonetheless, I don't hate the phrase Participatory Society.  I've asked a few of my non-politically active friends what comes to their mind when I say the phrase "Participatory Society" and they pretty much get the idea right off the bat.  Not everything though.  Participatory society doesn't necessarily bring the economic realm or some of the other realms in complementary holism.  I think through education, being a good example through action, and organization, we can create a new "brand" in politics called "Participatory Society" though.  It wouldn't have the communication burier that some other words may have.

At the end of the day, a better word might be out there and I think it's a good idea to try to think of it.

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Re: Re

By Roblin, Stephen at Nov 25, 2010 17:41 PM

I think you're right about "participatory society" -- it doesn't have all the baggage that say "socialism" has. And talking to non-activists about these terms is the best way to figure out which ones actually mean something.

My response to this situation is twofold. On the one hand, it's important to revisit these terms and restore their original meaning so as to correct the historical record. On the other hand, it's important not to push people away because of "buzz words."

I guess it's a matter of timing and using common sense. It's probably best to save the conversation about how communists made great contributions during the labor struggle after an appeal has been made to someone on the basis of their grievances and how to overcome them.

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By Paul, Harpreet at Nov 23, 2010 18:30 PM

Whilst I completely understand your concerns, I also think that less is currently associated with the word "participatory" than "democratic".  Perhaps that gives a strategic edge - one can mould the word participatory into something new and politically meaningful.  
 
Also, "Democratic" seems to have very western connotations whilst "participatory" seems also to speak to indigenous and other movements.  
 
Most importantly, I think the word "participatory" encapsulates all the spheres in a holistic manner in a way that "democratic" may be limited to the political sphere (because of it's current connotations).

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By Roblin, Stephen at Nov 23, 2010 19:41 PM

The fact that  "democracy"  refers to the political sphere reveals the concept's debasement, wherever this belief is widely held.  This seems to be the case in the U.S., and I think you're right to suggest that the concept's meaning has been gutted of its substance.  After reading Ben Dangl's recent book on social movements in Latin America, I'm of the belief that one has to look to Latin America to understand the substance of democracy. A critical task for activists here is to restore the meaning of democracy.

That said, you may be right that the term "participation" is less contaminated than other concepts.

 

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By Paul, Harpreet at Nov 23, 2010 23:17 PM

I agree that much can be learnt about the true meaning and substance of what democracy is from Latin America.  I think indigenous movements particularly are inherently about increasing participation in all spheres of life.  

As for the phonetics..."OPS" certainly has a better ring to it!

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