Reflections on Deliberative Walks: – A Participatory Method and Learning Process

This paper focus on a model called Deliberative Walk, which was first proposed by Ehrström & Raisio (2014), and builds on the deliberative models Citizens’ Jury and Development Walk. Using data from two case studies, Raisio & Ehrström (forthcoming), explore the potential of joining these two participatory models, one talk-centric and the other more observation-oriented. The idea to combine the models is influenced by outdoor pedagogy and place-based learning. Thus, Deliberative Walks is introduced as a vehicle to learn in a more complete matter. Early results are promising as interviews show that participants in both cases experienced the observation phase as valuable for the learning process. Ideally Deliberative Walk could make learning processes more equal, as individuals who has challenges in learning by listening experts or reading information packages, could learn by seeing, observing and feeling. Deliberative Walks is also understood as a reciprocal learning process for citizens and decision-makers.

Keywords: Learning process, participation, Deliberative democracy; Deliberative walks; Outdoor pedagogics