Ponad górne szczeble „drabiny partycypacji”: koncepcja Sherry Arnstein po pięciu dekadach

In 2019, fifty years will have passed since the publication of Arnstein’s text, which has become one of the most influential works regarding social participation. The authors of the article refer to this concept by raising the question about the shape of “the participation ladder” in the context of participatory behaviours in the contemporary communities of large cities. They review state of the art, present the case studies from the city of Poznań and discuss the potential development of participation forms, moving to the upper levels of Arnstein’s ladder. The modern, structurally complex and increasingly socially aware society of social movements, non-governmental organizations, but also ordinary citizens, extends the ladder of participation towards a dendrite encompassing forms of rebellion. The authors add new rungs to Arnstein’s ladder: awakening, radicalization, civil disobedience and rebellion. They also offer a broader interpretation of what it means for a territorial unit management to be social. They suggest to extend it beyond the classic understanding of citizens’ power as co-decision.