Citizen participation in local governance: the case of the Murcia Region

the case of the Murcia Region

This is an outdated version published on 31-12-2024. Read the most recent version.

Authors

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/areas.631241
Keywords: Citizen participation, Local governance, Participatory democracy, Case study, Gender

Abstract

This article analyses citizen participation in local governance in the Region of Murcia with a focus on the impact that gender has on the different levels and forms of participation. It is based on the analysis of data from the first survey on citizen participation in the Region of Murcia, a project carried out within the Open Chair for Innovation and Participation of the University of Murcia and the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT). It examines gender differences in the conception of participation, knowledge of existing mechanisms of citizen participation, and structural and cultural barriers affecting women. The results show that, although both genders have a similar understanding of citizen participation in public intervention, women tend to be more involved in non-institutionalised spaces and have a more positive valuation of participation as a tool for citizen empowerment. This study provides empirical evidence on gender differences in citizen participation and highlights the importance of adopting more inclusive approaches to participatory processes at the local level.

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Author Biographies

Esther Clavero-Mira, University of Alicante

Esther Clavero Mira has a degree in Sociology from the University of Alicante and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Murcia (2022). She has been a professor at the University of Murcia between 2010 and 2024. She is currently Professor of the Department of Sociology II at the University of Alicante. Researcher at CEMOP (Centro de Estudios Murcianos de Opinión Pública), and at the Observatory of Social Exclusion of the University of Murcia since 2012. Member of CEMUGE (Center for Women and Gender Studies), and of the research team of the Open Chair of Innovation and Participation of the University of Murcia, as well as member of the Knowledge Transfer Group “Sociological Studies” of the University of Murcia. From 2007 to January 2021 she has held public and political responsibilities in different regional and local administrations.

Pilar Ortiz Garcia, University of Murcia

Pilar Ortiz García is Professor of the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Economics and Business. D. in Economics from the University of Murcia. Degree in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid. She develops her teaching and research in the areas of Sociology of Work and Organizations and Political Sociology. In these areas, she has focused her research on issues related to Entrepreneurship, Business Culture, Gender and Electoral Behavior. His research experience has resulted in the publication of articles in journals of recognized prestige in the area, as well as books in relevant publishers in this scientific field. She has participated in numerous research projects funded in public calls for various public and private entities, in two of which she has been PI. He is a member of the Centro de Estudios Murciano de Opinión Pública (CEMOP).

Francisco Eduardo Haz-Gomez, University of Santiago de Compostela

Francisco Eduardo Haz-Gomez holds a degree in Sociology, University of A Coruña (2004), a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology, UNED (2009), a degree in Social Work, UNED (2021) and an international PhD in Sociology and Political Science from the University of A Coruña (2016). Currently, he is a professor in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a member of the team Social Research and Public Policy (ISOPOLIS). He has extensive experience in the field of social research in areas such as: research methodology, social exclusion, digital society, public policy and urban sociology, among others. He has received scholarships from the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the University of Tallinn (Estonia). He has taught at the University of Extremadura, International University of Valencia, University of Murcia and UNED, in addition to being a visiting professor at various universities in Italy, Portugal, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Lithuania. Since 2018 he is a member of the Observatory of Social Exclusion of the University of Murcia.

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Published
31-12-2024
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How to Cite
Clavero-Mira, E., Ortiz Garcia, P., & Haz-Gomez, F. E. (2024). Citizen participation in local governance: the case of the Murcia Region: the case of the Murcia Region. Areas. International Social Science Journal, (46), 97–119. https://doi.org/10.6018/areas.631241
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No. 46 (2024): Número miscelánea
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