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L5 Public Participation in Social Policy

SOWK 3340 Social Policy and Planning

Department of Social Work, CUHK
5 October 2023
Eric Au Yeung
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▪ What is Social Justice

▪ Principle of fair process and outcome
▪ Components of social justice: Deserve, Equality,
Lecture 4 Need & Right (Barusch, 2006)
Review ▪ Philosophical approach: Socialism, Utilitarianism,
Libertarianism, Rawlsian Liberalism
 Course Structure
Recap on
Course Structure
• Political Ideologies including left, right, Productivism
• Social Justice
Theories &
Concepts
• Public Participation

• Policy areas: poverty, housing, welfare …

Issues • Key issues: role of state & market, policy making…

• Policy in Practice – community bazaar

• Policy Analysis & Evaluation
Practice • Policy Advocacy & Campaigning
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▪ I. Arnstern’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

Lecture 5 ▪ II. Interaction of the changing citizenship (公民身份) and
Outline public participation in Hong Kong
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▪ 1. Public Participation: Control and Choice

▪ Control (掌控) is use across the political
spectrum and is generally perceived to
be a desirable outcome of local
democratic process.
I. Arnstern’s ▪ The Right offers the extension of
individual control (largely by
Ladder of Citizen undermining the political system and
Participation placing greater emphasis on the
economic system).
▪ The Left offers the extension of
collective control (by attempting to
increase participation in the system of
representation)
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▪ 1. Public Participation: Control and Choice

▪ Control means the power of directing. It
requires participation in the whole process
of policy, not only in the process of input –
policy making but also the output - policy
implementation
I. Arnstern’s
Ladder of Citizen ▪ The citizens choose political leader
periodically at elections, but they are rarely
Participation
involved in producing the values and
policies to be pursued by the parties. Let
see the example of HTP & EC
▪ In Hong Kong, demonstration is a choice for
the public to construct their value
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▪ 1. Public Participation: Control and Choice

▪ If a public institution (公營或政府機構)
I. Arnstern’s wishes to pursue a strategy for
Ladder of Citizen empowering local, it needs to decide
Participation whether or not, she really wants to invite
citizens ‘behind the scene’.
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ Sherry Arnstein, writing in 1969 about citizen involvement in
planning processes in the United States, described a ladder
of participation.
▪ ‘There is a critical difference between going through the
empty ritual of participation and having the real power
I. Arnstern’s needed to affect the outcome of process’ (Arnstein, 1969: 216)
Ladder of Citizen
Participation ◼ French student poster. In English: I
participate, you participate; he participate;
we participate; you participate …They profit.
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

I. Arnstern’s
Ladder of Citizen
Participation
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 1 Manipulation（操縱）and 2 Therapy（治療）
▪ Both are non participative. The aim is to cure or
educate the participants. The proposed plan is best
and the job of participation is to achieve public
I. Arnstern’s support by public relations.

Ladder of Citizen
Participation
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When Kim Jong Il die, the ex highest leader in North

Korea, people participated as showing their pains
and sadness to him as much they can. They were When Queen Elizabeth II left, people spontaneously
educated / cued to love their country unquestionably queued up and wait for 12 hours more to pay tribute
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 3 Informing （通知）
▪ A most important first step to legitimate
participation. But too frequently the emphasis
is on a one way flow of information. No

I. Arnstern’s channel for feedback.

Ladder of Citizen
a

Participation
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 4 Consultation（諮詢）
▪ Again a legitimate step such as attitude surveys,
neighbourhood meetings and public enquiries. But
Arnstein still feels this is just a window dressing
ritual. Design of consultation, agenda, host, process,
I. Arnstern’s handling of collected opinions are0 manipulated …
Ladder of Citizen noiseoutrole
s
, _
'
d

Participation 反對要寫neason ≥
⼀
c

( wbetuernobe係節⽇艇役
)
 鞋员演

「
14
HK ~ 500 個 ommitted

▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 5 Placation（安撫）
▪ For example, co-option of hand-picked
‘worthies’ onto committees. It allows citizens
to advise or plan ad infinitum but retains for
power holders the right to judge the
I. Arnstern’s legitimacy or feasibility of the advice.
Ladder of Citizen
Participation
Local
consultation in
HK
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 6 Partnership （夥伴）
▪ Power is in fact redistributed through
negotiation between citizens and power
holders. Planning and decision-making
responsibilities are shared e.g. through
I. Arnstern’s joint committees.

Ladder of Citizen
Participation
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 7 Delegated power （授權）
▪ Citizens holding a clear majority of seats on
committees with delegated powers to make
decisions. Public now has the power to assure
I. Arnstern’s accountability of the programme to them.
Ladder of Citizen
Participation
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▪ 2. Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

▪ 8 Citizen Control（公民主導）
▪ Have-nots handle the entire job of planning, policy
making and managing a programme e.g.
neighbourhood corporation with no
I. Arnstern’s intermediaries between it and the source of funds.
Ladder of Citizen
Participation
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j aytim -
wasumnirg
-
Lee see the case
of
citizen control

▪ Participatory Budgeting – YouTube

▪ The Porto Alegre Experience on Participatory Budgeting – YouTube (2’)
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▪ Participatory budgeting (PB) began around 80s in one

of the cites in South Brazil. It is a process through which
citizens present their demands and priorities for civic
improvement, and influence through discussions and
negotiations the budget allocations made by their local
councils.
▪ The main process of Participatory budgeting involves
What is PB three streams of meetings running parallelly:
neighborhood assemblies, “thematic” assemblies, and
meetings of delegates for citywide coordinating
sessions.

▪ The meetings for discussing the local budget for local

affairs continue throughout the years
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Let’s see the case first

▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLpNYcsjI5o
▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzroUVqCod4
▪ https://www.hk01.com/%E5%91%A8%E5%A0%B1/615653/%E5%8F%
What are the critical 83%E8%88%87%E5%BC%8F%E9%A0%90%E7%AE%97%E5%B8%B6
success factors for %E4%BE%86%E7%9A%84%E6%83%B3%E5%83%8F-
%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E7%9C%9F%E6%AD%A3%E4%BF%83
implementation of PB %E6%88%90%E5%85%AC%E6%B0%91%E5%8F%83%E8%88%87
in local context?
▪ 青年參政無力 智庫倡政府推行「參與式預算」投票決定公
帑運用 | 獨媒報導 | 獨立媒體 (inmediahk.net)
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What are the key success factors of PB?

-Empowerment in view of greater participation, inclusion &
Points to decision making (Democratic participation)

Ponder -Open and transparency

-Accountability
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Points Any disadvantages of PB?

Does PB apply to HK for local affairs?

to Ponder
 Altase
收⾼乘夫球场
彩福村 12018 ⼟地⼤⾼ → 12
年⼩ 百线场 dDasBnn _
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,最後必聪市纪意思
resowleytim
與⺠共 ” 好⽤多
⑥

▪ Problems of Arnstein’s model:

▪ it requires a change in some of the
assumptions implicit in Arnstein’s model e.g.
I. Arnstern’s power relationship between government and
Ladder of Citizen local, other forms of public participation in
new era, the tendency to view lower levels as
Participation negative while higher levels as right
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Citizenship in ▪ What is the descriptions of your citizenship?

HK ▪ Changing Notion?
(Interaction between citizenship and
public participation)
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1840s –

▪ Colonial Hong Kong Chinese

▪ Ambiguous identity?
In colonial period, segregation of colonial government /
business / social elite to local community. No channel for
the public in social and public affairs
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After the establishment of PRC, people influx to HK.

Colonial government treated them as transient population.
Limited welfare provision and no public participation

▪ Mobile and transient population

▪ People moving from Mainland to HK for temporary stay
1950 – 60s (Refugees?)
▪ Indigenous residents
 暴
⽯尾⼤火 29

,
1960s – 1980s

▪ Hong Kong resident / Local resident

市⺠對基建有要求和女 Colonial Government awakened the social problems and
discontent. Besides the implementation of various infrastructures
and measures, some consultations for the public were provided.
For example, public housing and education were provided in 70s,
green & white paper for policy consultation and implementation
in 80s & direction election in District Council in the 1982.
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Before & after

1997
▪ Mainland Chinese?
▪ Hong Kong resident?
▪ Mainland HK Chinese?
The Hong Kong people struggled the identity and its
frequent change starting from 1984. Public consultation
get started and turn to be a common political practice
for public engagement.
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◼ Localist vs the Universalist struggles in Hong Kong

After 2000 ◼ Hong Kong citizen, Mainland HK Chinese, Mainland Chinese,
Global citizenship

Besides the political events and sovereignty change, there was the
appearance of global citizenship identity particularly Hong Kong is
anchored as international city. The pace turns faster after 2000.
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沙⼠ 1 反 23 條立法

▪ Local Hong Konger?

▪ Mainland HK Chinese?
▪ Global citizenship?

2003 A series of social and political events sharply aroused the

civic awareness. Government opened more channel and
tried to make use of advisory committee, election, local and
LEGCO consultation and public consultation as public
→ 後果 wone

Ofonyeunwrk
engagement

⺠⽣制度 : 體制內 / 體制外都能帮助

⼀ 1
—

⾰pl 示威
.

論境 ?
。
 Election: In different levels, including district councils and 33
legislative councils (both districts and Functional constituency)

Advisory committees:
Currently, there are around 520 advisory and statutory bodies. Government officials and
members of the public are represented on these bodies. About 4 700 members of the public
have been appointed to serve on about 450 bodies holding around 7 300 posts (some serve on
more than one body).
https://www.hyab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/District_Community_and_Public_Relations/advisory.htm

Public consultation and Public hearing in LEGCO: Such as

After 2000 policy address, budget address, various ordinances & policies

HK Government’s Liberty in the establishment of Civil Society Organization and

Labour Union
Engagement with
Public Tolerance to the right for Procession and demonstration:
Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of
association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; and the right and freedom to form
and join trade unions, and to strike. Article 27, Chapter III, Basic Law
https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclaw/chapter3.html

▪ Local Hong Konger?

▪ Mainland HK Chinese?
▪ Global citizenship?
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-New governing principles,

-National Security Law,
Recent? -New electoral system for CE, LEGCO, DC
-New public participation in local affairs, -
-New forms of public consultation
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▪ I. Arnstern’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

Lecture 5 ▪ II. A flowing concept - Citizenship in Hong Kong

Take Home Value ▪ III. Other Models of Participation in different

settings
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1. 梁恩榮, 阮衛華著 2011, 公民教育, 香港再造! : 迎向新世代公民社會初版 香港 : 印象

文學 : 香港基督徒學會
2. 呂大樂2007《四代香港人》，進一步多媒體有限公司
3. Cheng, Y.S. (eds) (2014). New Trends of Political Participation in Hong Kong, Hong
Kong, City University of Hong Kong Press.
4. Cheung, Peter T. Y. (2011). Civic engagement in the policy process in Hong Kong:
Other useful materials for Change and continuity. Public administration and development vol 31 (2), p. 113-121.
5. Lee, W. Y. et. al. (2013). Public policymaking in Hong Kong: civic engagement and
public participation and
state-society relations in a semi-democracy. Milton Park, Abindon, Oxon : Routledge.
engagement in recent Chapter 1
Hong Kong 6. T. L. Lui (2019). Routledge handbook of contemporary Hong Kong. Abindon, Oxon,
New York NY : Routledge
7. Wong, Y. C. and Chan, K.H. (2017). Civil disobedience movements in Hong Kong:
a civil society perspective, Asian Education and Development Studies, 6(4) 312-332
8. https://www.hku.hk/press/c_news_detail_21484.html
9. https://www.ln.edu.hk/mcsln/archive/52nd_issue/feature_02.shtml
10. After mobilization: Youth, political engagement, and online performance in Hong Kong
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