Rikki Dean
ABOUT THE PHD PROJECT
I am studying the use of participatory policy-making techniques in UK social policy. As government shifts towards 'governance' these processes are becoming increasingly popular, from deliberative consultation initiatives to participatory budgeting in local government.
The desirability of greater participation in policy-making is rarely challenged, but this is not true of its definition. This project thus explores the influence of the theories and ideologies behind calls for greater participation. Does participation mean the same thing to both new public managers and deliberative democrats? And how can we evaluate these processes if their very definition is contested?
Supervisors: Dr Tania Burchardt and Prof Hartley Dean
ABOUT ME
I am currently in the second year of my PhD in the Department of Social Policy and Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at the London School of Economics.
My background is originally in philosophy, having studied for a BA Philosophy and English Literature and MA Social and Political Thought (Sussex), but my interest in policy was piqued when working for Prof. Christopher Hood on the ESRC Public Services Programme. In 2011-2012 I undertook an MSc in Social Policy (Research) at the LSE for which I was awarded the Richard Titmuss Prize for Outstanding Performance.
I finally created a whole website, which is