Citizenship, civil society and participation in public policies: The experience of the community safety forums in the municipality of La Plata

Abstract

The article presents results of a study about citizen participation in public safety policies in the municipality of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The work focuses on the analysis of the participation practices observed in Community Safety Forums and on the meaning that the forum members attribute to these forums. The study utilized qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, such as participant observation, interviews with key informants and interviews with Forum members. One important conclusion is that the participation does not take advantage of all the public policy possibilities, and that the forums thus express a form of “limited citizenship”. An example of this is the self-identification of the forum members as ‘neighbors’, a category that can be seen as moral and depoliticized. Finally, it is hoped that the article can support empiric research and the debate about the political meaning of participation of civil society in public policies.