This Special Issue is the culmination of the Diversity, Inclusivity, Multi-Disciplinarity in European Studies (DIMES) project, undertaken under the aegis of the University Association of European... Show moreThis Special Issue is the culmination of the Diversity, Inclusivity, Multi-Disciplinarity in European Studies (DIMES) project, undertaken under the aegis of the University Association of European Studies (UACES). DIMES was initiated in recognition of the under-representation (broadly conceived) of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) academics and to address the over-representation of Western European and North American scholars and knowledge production within UACES and European Studies more generally. This introduction to the issue establishes the context for the contributions that follow. It outlines the ways in which DIMES sought to address the lack of inclusivity in European Studies, and speak also to the further aim of DIMES, the extension of the disciplinary focus of European Studies. Here, then we introduce the contributions to this special issue, which are representative of some of the many conversations held over four years with a wide range of scholars, all committed disrupting of European Studies, albeit through different means. We argue that debates about decentring, about decolonising, on the need to acknowledge the privilege and Eurocentricity that continues to dominate knowledge production traditions are pertinent for European Studies. Show less
Moving direct citizen participation away from the townhouse and onto online platforms is considered to be an effective government strategy for involving a larger and more diverse group of citizens... Show moreMoving direct citizen participation away from the townhouse and onto online platforms is considered to be an effective government strategy for involving a larger and more diverse group of citizens in decision-making and thereby making participation more inclusive. However, this claim is not yet supported by evidence, and neither has it been explored whether and how government can design online platforms that are more likely to attract participants from diverse groups. To fill this gap, this dissertation explores how the design of online participation platforms influences the inclusivity of online direct participation.In this dissertation, administrative and digital trace data are used to evaluate inclusivity in online participation, and through a field experiment it is established that design choices can indeed affect who participates. To make impactful design choices, it is necessary to understand what factors influence whether citizens participate in online platforms. By studying intentions to participate from the perspective of citizens, this dissertation finds that influential beliefs in the participation decision vary for citizens from diverse sociodemographic groups. These insights help to explain why online platforms do not solve all issues for inclusivity in direct participation, and provide suggestions for design choices that may activate harder to reach groups. Show less
