Participation digitalization in Barcelona: remodelling the integration of the associations

Tocqueville thought vital for a democracy to have vibrant associations and to foster a dynamic associative culture among citizens. Since then, political theorists have long pondered on the idea of characterizing what associations are and define how they nurture democracy (Cole, 1920, Parsons, 1951, Cohen & Rogers 1995, Putnam 2000, Warren 2001). Most of the time, their reflections have taken into account local and national political systems, in the wake of Tocqueville who advocated that direct participation of citizens at the local level is fundamental for a democracy. Since the beginning of this intellectual effort, studying them at the local level (Dion, 1984, Pouzoulet, 1995, Jones 1999, Lang, 2018) has thus been essential to understand the role associations (can) have in a democracy (to be more specific, in a representative government). My aim for this paper is that it constitutes a valuable empirical contribution to the reflection on the evolution of the role of associations at the local level since the (partial) digitalization of citizen participation processes, by showing how a local institution and the associations in its environment modify their relationships through digitalization. The goal of this paper will thus be twofold. First, I will begin with a short overview of recent history in Barcelona about the digitalization of participation process. I will explain how the definition, launch and evolution of an in-house digital participation tool (the Decidim software) can be viewed as a relevant case study to understand how digitalization was conveived and carried on. I will also highlight the lines along which the tool was developed in relation to the web of the city's associations. Second, I will try to show to what extent this case study can help us grasp possible changes to the way associations are integrated into the environment of the city council. It should then allow us to better understand how normative theories about the relationships between associations and institutions could be in need for adjustments considering the evolution of the role of associations, whether it be actual or perceived. This paper is based on material gathered for a doctoral research from 2018 to 2021. Approximately forty semi-directive interviews were conducted with public agents (concerned or not by the digitalization of participation processes), with elected officials and with members of associations. Associations were picked in various areas of the city and had to be representative, as a whole, of the thematic diversity of Barcelona's associative movement. Along with the interviews has been conducted a thorough desk research, analyzing documents obtained through various sources that comprise meeting minutes, administrative activity reports, participative workshop summaries, among others. Finally, I have been able to observe several internal and external meetings of the development community of the Decidim software, allowing me to fully grasp the objectives of the project and the means deployed to implement it in the city administration and its environment.