Concept and practice of participation : some theoretical considerations

Abstract

Despite widespread endorsement of participation as an important objective arid means of development, there is little agreement in practice on its definition and meaning. A cursory reading of the mushrooming literature on the subject testifies to the many different interpretations of the term in current usage. This paper therefore "seeks to make a contribution to the analysis of the concept and practice of participation. More specifically, it attempts to suggest answer: to the questions: participation for what, by whom and how? The next section begins with a discussion of the different contexts and spaces or levels of participation.