The Future Challenges of Inclusion – A Theorists’ Response

Abstract

Inclusion of ‘all affected’ is a central democratic value. Do the rise of populism and xenophobic, exclusionary sentiments show that the way democratic inclusion has been theorised and practiced so far is no longer adequate? There are many new challenges ahead: Modern technology is changing modern societies and reforms the way we make collective decisions; but not everyone has equal access and knowledge of the technological progress. Many societies are already struggling with the inclusion of newcomers and migrants; a challenge that is only bound to increase in future years as conflicts become more pressing. Last but not least, the effects of climate change call into question contemporary lifestyles, beliefs, and forms of political organisation; how can societies be included in crafting radically new futures? This panel analyses new ways in which democratic inclusion can be conceptualised, to better respond to these and other future challenges over the coming decades. This panel includes normative and conceptual papers that challenge existing notions of socio-political inclusion, conceptualise new ones, or provide exploration on how existing notions of inclusion can help us to address future challenges. It also discusses theoretical papers that zoom in on a situation of particular disempowered groups and from their perspective assesses current practices. In particular, it seeks to relate concepts of inclusion to the role of new forms of democratic participation and innovation. Topics include: - Inclusion as a core concept of democratic innovations - Inclusion as a response to populism - Problems and challenges of technological inclusion - Challenges of inclusion in the sustainability transition and the Anthropocene - How new forms of democratic governance can facilitate inclusion - Epistemic inclusion