Democratic Practices in Transnational Civil Society Networks Der Fakultät Kulturwissenschaften der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg zur Erlangung des Grades Doktorin der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften (Dr. rer. pol.) vorgelegte Dissertation von Henrike Knappe geboren am 27. Februar 1985 in Halberstadt 1 This dissertation has benefited from numerous inspiring encounters and discussions. Above all, I want to thank my supervisors at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Prof. (apl.) Dr. Dawid Friedrich and Prof. Dr. Thomas Saretzki for their enormous support and constant belief in this dissertation. Furthermo- re, I want to thank the Leuphana University Lüneburg for the generous stipend, without which this dissertation could not have been written. 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 Figures 6 Tables 6 Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Abstract 8 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Part I Conceptual Foundations of Democratic Practice in Transnational Civil Society Networks ........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 1 Participatory Democracy .......................................................................................................................... 25 1.1 The Theoretical Foundations of Participatory Democracy ........................................................ 26 1.2 The Triad of Participation, Equality and Freedom ........................................................................ 28 1.3 From System Change to Integration: Participatory Democracy vis-à-vis State and Society ............................................................................................................................................................................. 35 1.4 The Prospects of Participatory Democracy for Transnational Civil Society Networks .. 39 1.4.1 A Model for Participatory Transnational Democracy: Global Stakeholder Democracy ................................................................................................................................................................ 39 1.4.2 Internal Democracy in Civil Society Groups............................................................................ 41 2 Democratic Representation ..................................................................................................................... 45 2.1 The Roots of Democratic Representation .......................................................................................... 46 2.2 Democratic Norms and Forms of Representation.......................................................................... 49 2.2.1 Representation as Description ..................................................................................................... 49 2.2.2 The Representative’s Freedom ..................................................................................................... 51 2.3 The Prospects of Non-electoral Representation for Transnational Civil Society Networks ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56 2.3.1 Holding Representatives Accountable by a Blurred Constituency ................................ 57 2.3.2 Trust as a Basis for Unelected Representatives .................................................................... 59 2.3.3 The Substantive Practice of Representation ........................................................................... 61 3 3 Deliberative Democracy ............................................................................................................................ 64 3.1 The Epistemic Perspective on Deliberation ...................................................................................... 66 3.1.1 Valid Norms and Enlightened Decisions – the Goals of Deliberation ........................... 67 3.1.2 Beyond Expert Rationality in Deliberation ............................................................................. 69 3.2 The Participatory Claims of Deliberative Democracy................................................................... 70 3.2.1 Shared Notions and Differences between Participatory and Deliberative Democracy ................................................................................................................................................................ 72 3.2.2 Pluralism and Impartiality in Deliberative Processes ........................................................ 73 3.3 The Prospects of Deliberative Democracy for Transnational Civil Society Networks .... 75 4 Democracy as Practice ............................................................................................................................... 79 4.1 Social Practices ............................................................................................................................................. 84 4.2 Conceptualizing Democracy as Practice ............................................................................................. 89 4.3 Evaluation Criteria for Democratic Practice ..................................................................................... 92 4.3.1 Participation Practices ..................................................................................................................... 92 4.3.2 Deliberation Practices ...................................................................................................................... 95 4.3.3 Representation Practices ................................................................................................................ 97 Part II Democratic Practice in Two Transnational Civil Society Networks .......................... 101 5 Research Design ........................................................................................................................................ 101 5.1 Methodological Assumptions of a Reconstructive Analysis .................................................... 102 5.2 Case Selection ............................................................................................................................................. 105 5.3 Qualitative Semi-structured Interviews .......................................................................................... 111 5.4 The Method of Reconstructive Analysis .......................................................................................... 115 6 Political Practices in Transnational Civil Society Networks – An Exploration ................ 119 6.1 A Campaign for Better Working Conditions in the Garment Industry: the CCC ............. 122 6.2 A Network for Environmental Protection Worldwide: FoE .................................................... 131 6.3 The Political Practices of Representation, Participation and Deliberation ...................... 139 6.3.1 Inside the Transnational Civil Society Networks: General Perceptions ................... 140 6.3.2 Participation Practices .................................................................................................................. 145 6.3.3 Deliberation Practices ................................................................................................................... 157 4 6.3.4 Representation Practices ............................................................................................................. 173 6.3.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 183 7 How Democratic are the Political Practices Explored? ............................................................. 185 7.1 Participation Practices............................................................................................................................ 185 7.2 Deliberation Practices ............................................................................................................................. 193 7.3 Representation Practices ....................................................................................................................... 199 8 Conclusions: Democracy in Contexts of Dissolving Boundaries ........................................... 206 References ....................................................................................................................................................................... 213 Annex 222 5 Figures Figure 1: “Three Logics of Social Action” .............................................................................................................. 76 Figure 2: Information leaflet about the CCC urgent appeals actions ...................................................... 127 Figure 3: Fainting activists in Paris, Chicago and Stockholm .................................................................... 128 Figure 4: Street action for the campaign “Discover fairness” ...................................................................