Climate change is a growing problem and sustainable energy sources are necessary in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Wind energy is a common source of sustainable energy in the UK, but acceptance of...Show moreClimate change is a growing problem and sustainable energy sources are necessary in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Wind energy is a common source of sustainable energy in the UK, but acceptance of wind farm projects varies, which can lead to delay or cancellation of a project. Previous research found support for the hypothesis that acceptance of a wind farm project is higher when participants receive voice (compared to no voice), and that this relationship is mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these results. It also tested whether expectations of voice opportunity moderate this relationship. Participants were told to imagine that they were a resident of Presford, where a company named UniWind was planning to build a wind park. We then systematically varied expectations (expectations manipulation: expecting voice vs. not expecting voice vs. control group) and whether or not participants received voice (voice manipulation: genuine voice vs. no voice). The study was an experimental scenario study with a 3 x 2 between-subjects design (n = 450; UK citizens). As predicted and replicating previous results, we found a significant main effect of voice opportunity on project acceptance, and this relationship was mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. However, against what was predicted, no significant moderating effect of expectations was found. Implications and directions for future research were discussed, and the results illustrate the importance of a voice opportunity in the acceptance of wind farm projects. Several suggestions for future research were made.Show less
This Graduation Project revolves around the real caste study and co-creation project Berk&Hout which is situated on the boundary of the municipalities Tilburg and Udenhout (the Netherlands). An...Show moreThis Graduation Project revolves around the real caste study and co-creation project Berk&Hout which is situated on the boundary of the municipalities Tilburg and Udenhout (the Netherlands). An important element in the development of this new residential area was the excavation of a Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age urnfield together with settlement traces from the Bronze Age and Roman Period. The aim of this paper was to explore the possibilities of co-creation projects for archaeological research, especially for its public outreach including citizen participation. Co-creation is an upcoming concept in the field of public archaeology, a branch of archaeology that concerns itself with the interaction between the archaeological research and the public. The intention of co-creation is to create an environment in which all stakeholders of a project work together to define the goals of a project, create the plan and make joint decisions. In order for co-creation to become increasingly prevalent in the field of archaeology, the establishment of two treaties by the Council of Europe were necessary. It started with the implementation of the Malta convention (1992), which ensured conservation and protection of the archaeological heritage and with that the role of the archaeologists in society and within (development) projects. At the same time, with the Malta convention the importance of the accessibility of heritage and the role of public awareness was considered. In the Faro convention (2005) the focus on participation in cultural heritage was developed even further. The framework aided the shift in focus from how Europe’s heritage should be protected to why heritage should be accorded value. Its intention was to change the role of the public in assigning value to heritage and emphasizes that heritage should not just be defined by the heritage professionals: the democratization of heritage. It was an important step in order to facilitate co-creation projects because of a shift in the agency, the valorisation and inclusiveness of cultural heritage. The Faro convention also mentions the potential of heritage as resource for sustainable development and ability to enhance the quality of life through placemaking and creation of communities. Five case studies from Netherlands and its neighbouring countries demonstrated the potential that archaeology has in co-creation projects when designing with archaeology is used. Based on the master plan of Berk&Hout, the scientific results of the archaeological research and the stakeholder analysis, it was decided to physically implement the archaeological heritage in the landscape of Berk&Hout through designing with archaeology. Three designs were suggested that were themed around several steps from the ladder of citizen participation; information, concertation and co-creation. This research by design made apparent the possibilities and challenges that designing with archaeology offers for the field of archaeology and heritage within co-creation projects. It is a permanent and sustainable way to physically represent the heritage of a place. With active involvement of the stakeholders it can lead to community building and enhance the quality of life for an area. Co-creation and ‘designing with archaeology’ can transform the space of the development project Berk&Hout into a place again: from cremation to co-creation.Show less
The reseach question is ‘’How does the use of citizen involvement by CoR on the Green Deal affect the institution’s legitimacy?’. This thesis will look at different way on how to engage with...Show moreThe reseach question is ‘’How does the use of citizen involvement by CoR on the Green Deal affect the institution’s legitimacy?’. This thesis will look at different way on how to engage with citizens and how that will affect an institution’s legitimacy. A case study has been conducted on the Green deal and the European Committee of the Regions.Show less
The South African impoverished people have been largely unable to influence political decision-making during the Apartheid era and post-Apartheid. This research focuses on the influence of wealth,...Show moreThe South African impoverished people have been largely unable to influence political decision-making during the Apartheid era and post-Apartheid. This research focuses on the influence of wealth, information asymmetry and perceptions on the impoverished people’s participation with regard to the stadium building process in Cape Town and Nelspruit. The factors of wealth, information asymmetry and perceptions are identified through rigorous literature review, which placed the impoverished people’s participation through the perspective of civic political participation and democracy. The wealth factor displayed a layered power balance with FIFA and the national South African government at the top, local government and local affluent in the middle and local impoverished people at the bottom of the pyramid. The information asymmetry factor for the Cape Town and Nelspruit cases negatively affected the impoverished people’s participation, as they lacked key information that could have assisted them in their political participation. The perception factor showed that the impoverished people had little trust in the political system as the result of corruption and false promises made in the past, which negatively affected their political participation. The stylized nature of the research, by exclusively examining these factors, limited the research, as it did not fully consider a myriad of other factors and the influence of these factors on the decision-making process.Show less
In this thesis the development of one specific deliberative form of citizen participation (the G1000 Groningen) in the Netherlands is put in to its historic-political context. The main question is...Show moreIn this thesis the development of one specific deliberative form of citizen participation (the G1000 Groningen) in the Netherlands is put in to its historic-political context. The main question is as follows: to what extent can a 'mini-public’ like the G1000 Groningen improve local democracy by proposing a change in the relationship between citizens and local government? It is explained that the G1000 organization tried to foster the bond between the Stadjers of Groningen by organizing the event without too much focus on its (political) results. The author characterizes the type of citizen participation found in the G1000 Groningen as one in which self-reliance is very important, in contrast to forms of citizenship found in the G1000 Amersfoort and G1000 Belgium in which the political character of of citizenship was emphasized. By doing so, the G1000 Groningen showed that there is more to democracy than having direct political influence as sometimes is argued for in the media. It showed that genuine participation in the process in which decisions are made is just as important. Only in such circumstances, it is possible to really relate yourself to your fellow citizens and be really part of a democratic community.Show less
