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Involving the Public—Participatory Methods and Democratic Ideals

Participatory methods aim to address controversy over new technologies through public consultation. This paper first describes the emergence of participatory methods within the framework of technology assessment, then provides an overview of the landscape of participatory arrangements; and, finally, discusses participatory methods in relation to different democratic ideals. The article challenges the widespread assumption that participatory methods can function as normatively neutral tools, which can readily be employed in various social and political settings. Through a case study of consensus conferences on GMOs in three European countries, the article investigates the interpretive processes that take place when participatory procedures are applied in new national political settings.