Participation, Democracy and Neighbourhood Poverty

Abstract

This chapter addresses some of the problems faced by participatory democracy by examining the relationship between participation and poverty in some detail. It introduces some of the methodological and analytical problems that need to be addressed if the relationship between poverty and democracy is to be analysed successfully. The chapter begins with an account of the prominent theoretical explanations for inequalities in democratic participation within the political science literature, suggesting that these can struggle to present nuanced accounts of poverty and its relationship to democratic life. It then corrects this by introducing the literature on neighbourhood effects, highlighting two prominent factors affecting the levels of participation in poor areas; social isolation, and social disorganisation.