PSG VIII: Public Governance of Societal Sectors

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Public Governance of Societal Sectors

Call for Papers

Background and focus of the Study Group

According to influential social theorists like Beck, Giddens and Bauman, modernity has entered a permanent state of turbulence, The solid, defined, territorialised, and state-bound concept of modern life is melting down. At the level of work and welfare, the traditional social ties (labour relations, community solidarity) become weaker and fragile. The living environment is one of increasing anonymity, distrust and discontent, due to the effects of economic individualisation, migration and cultural fragmentation.

Governments are desperately seeking answers to these processes of ‘social liquefaction’. However, a major complication is that public governance itself is part of the ‘melt-down’. The solid state, intervening in society with powerful social technologies, no longer exists. Governance instruments that rely on authority, hierarchy and bureaucracy increasingly suffer from lack of effectiveness and legitimacy. As a consequence, we witness the emergence of new modes of public governance, aiming to recover solid ground for intervention. One of the strategies is to give community initiatives, local social practices and third sector organisations a position and function within public governance.

Of course, this looks like a paradox: if social and cultural erosion is the problem, how can it be part of the solution? The way out is that public authorities are increasingly inclined to re-define social relations and responsibilities as manufactured and/or manageable concepts. Or, to put it somewhat more provocatively: public governance in modern welfare states is searching for methods to reinvent (or: revitalise) ‘the social’. Ambitions include a large-scale reconstruction of local communities, civil society and citizenship, by giving public responsibilities to citizens and third sector organisations. Simultaneously, relationships with citizens, communities and third sector organisations are cast within the mould of public management. They are subjected to accountability procedures; inserted in structures of supervision; included in arenas for competition and contracting.

The study group focuses on the emergence of this new type of governance, which manifests itself in two ways. First, it aims at establishing active and responsible communities and citizens, based on the belief that late-modern society does not generate the required levels of social trust and capital spontaneously. Second, by doing so the state shares public responsibilities with other actors like businesses, third sector organisations, and citizens. The Study Group explores the dynamics, effectiveness and appropriateness of this institutional response to the liquefaction of modern social life.

Call for this year’s conference: what is actually happening to societal organisations?

The first meeting of the EGPA Permanent Study Group on the Public Governance of Societal Sectors in Toulouse (2010) was a success with 6 full papers, 13 papers for the discussion-sessions, and participants to the workshop from 11 countries. Some general issues that deserve further attention in the Study Group emerged from the presentations and discussions. One central theme in the discussions dealt with the link (in two directions) between societal change and the way in which governance is developing and functioning. Questions derived from that theme include: to what extent can civic and private partners, through their distinctiveness, contribute to successful governance; how are features of the governance-network related to effectiveness at the individual, organizational and societal level; and how can we further specify the role of societal sectors in safeguarding public values? This latter issue is a tricky one: although many observers assume that the new public governance systems rely on strong civil society organizations, in many countries one can also observe that these organizations are in trouble. Governments withdraw their financial support (especially in times of governmental cut-backs), and organizations may experience a problem of legitimacy (or lack of social support), since their traditional raison d être is under pressure. Civic engagement is no longer exclusively a matter of traditional civil society organizations (like unions e.g.), and citizens more and more tend to organize themselves around ‘single issues’, and in the short run. This is why we want to raise the following issue during the coming Bucharest meeting:

“What has happened to the societal sectors during the last, say, ten years? Is decreasing support and status the central trend indeed, or do we also see tendencies towards revitalization? And how can we explain patterns of decline and/or restoration?”

Format of contributions

1. Thorough discussion of research papers

First of all, we think of empirical-analytical papers, for instance on mapping national trends or comparatively analyzing differences between nations, sectors and/or organisations. How governments treat societal sectors, the level of social support and/or the transition from traditional civil society organizations to modern public governance agencies may be interesting topics. However, we also welcome conceptual and/or methodological papers addressing questions regarding the meaning and measurement of central concepts like societal sectors and their legitimacy. We devote significant time to allow papers to be thoroughly discussed and will therefore restrict the number of papers that can be discussed in detail. If you would like to apply for this, please submit an abstract of 2-3 pages by the deadline. There is no fixed format for an abstract, but it should give a clear idea of focus, theory and methods.

2. Debates on emerging issues in the field

We will devote part of the meetings around the discussion of one or more statements, based on a concise, focused paper. Participants are encouraged to participate in the discussions. Applicants can also choose to submit statements of their own and/or act in a particular role in the discussion (e.g. defender, devil’s advocate). If this appeals to you, please contact us.

3. Discussion of potential future projects

As a group, we can discuss potential future projects, which can be developed over the coming years. These need not involve all the group. This can involve grant applications, edited volumes, meetings or whatever else comes up. If you have a suggestion, please contact us.

The rules

-          All accepted participants can submit a paper, regardless of whether they are presenting this paper or participating in some way, e.g. by defending a statement. All submitted papers will be posted on the Study Group website.

-          Not the same presentation twice. Only papers that have been seriously revised can be presented again. The presentation should then focus on progress made. Those who wish to participate, but have no new paper, have the option of participating as debater, as referee or in another interesting role, but not as presenter. During the selection of abstracts, the directors will decide on what constitute ‘new’ and ‘old’ papers.

-          No shopping policy. We are a small group focused on interaction and therefore expect participants to stay with our group throughout the conference. ‘Shopping’ at other Study Group meetings is not appreciated.

Practicalities

Abstracts of papers, themes for discussion (statements), or proposals for projects (e.g. books, special issues, joint research proposals …) should be sent to Bram Verschuere (bram.verschuere@hogent.be) by 1 May 2011. Based on your submissions, we will start organizing the session’s meetings. Authors will receive a response by mid-May.

Co-chairs