The current local governance environment in Australia is very complex. One reason for this complexity is that in keeping with the principles of ‘good governance’, there are increasing expectations to involve citizens in policy, planning and practice. In addition, with population ageing, an increasing proportion of these citizens belong to the ‘group’ known as ‘seniors’ or ‘older people’. This growing proportion of older people is accompanied by increased diversity including in relation to culture and language, socio-economic status, health and disability, as well as different cohorts and life experiences. A key challenge for local governance is not just how to include older people, but how to include such a diverse range of older people, in ways consistent with the principle of inclusiveness. Attention to inclusion is not only a critical component of good local governance practice, but is also a key policy focus in Australia and overseas. Inclusive local governance in ageing communities is not simply about ‘involving seniors’. To be truly inclusive requires an approach to citizen participation that is grounded in evidence about seniors’ needs and preferences, and the motivations, barriers and characteristics that impact on their engagement. However, given the many ways in which seniors differ, ensuring citizen engagement practices are truly inclusive will be increasingly difficult. This thesis explores these issues by asking: What are the key challenges for local governments in facilitating and supporting genuine and inclusive citizen participation in local governance for seniors? The research is based on the premise that addressing the challenge of including older people in local governance requires a sound understanding what motivates, facilitates and impedes seniors’ participation, and the relationships that these factors have with diversity. A review of the available literature addressing seniors’ political participation identified a multiplicity of motivating, impeding and facilitating factors and highlighted some potential challenges relating to the breadth and complex nature of the evidence. However, there was limited consideration of aspects of diversity beyond the direct effect of demographics. The intention of the thesis, therefore, was to explore the challenges to inclusive practice by developing an in-depth understanding of the factors that motivate, facilitate and impede seniors’ participation in local governance activities, as well as the ways in which aspects of diversity impact on their participation, motivations and barriers. The study used a two-stage mixed-method design, involving a series of focus groups at Stage One and a large scale survey at Stage Two, both conducted in one local government area in south-east Queensland, Australia. Findings from the study identified a complex web of interrelated factors impacting on participation in a number of ways. Motivations and barriers were both self- and other- directed, and were related to individual, social and government domains. Findings also highlighted the importance of diversity to seniors’ participation in governance, with different levels of diversity impacting on who participated, the motivations and barriers that were reported, how important they were, and how they were experienced, as well as their impact on participation. Subsequent synthesis and interpretation provided insights into how local governments can better understand the nature of these challenges if they are to pursue inclusive governance. Overall, results from this study demonstrate that developing inclusive local governance practice is not straightforward, and ensuring opportunities for the participation of seniors from diverse backgrounds presents particular challenges. There are two key conclusions from this study. First, there is significant complexity within the evidence base. This relates particularly to the operation of and patterns among these factors, and relationships between them. Identification of this complexity highlights the value of developing a nuanced understanding of the significant factors and the way they work within the specific local governance context, as well as the limitations of a superficial knowledge of the factors impacting on participation. Second, diversity is important. It impacts on participation both directly and indirectly, highlighting the importance of a deeper understanding of the impact of diversity for inclusive practice. In order to ensure that equal opportunities for participation are available to all seniors, diversity at all levels must be considered and built into appropriate processes. Challenges to local governments’ facilitation and support of inclusive participation by seniors in local governance arise as a result of this complexity within the evidence base and the various impacts of diversity. This thesis identifies and discusses a number of these key challenges, from one local government region, in order to inform inclusive local governance practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/282227 |
| Creators | Andrea Petriwskyj |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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