Asta Cepaite Nilsson
Lärare
Strategic communication practices on local level in public sector organizations - Micro-strategies and other social innovations in the empowerment process of building civic relations and trust
Författare
Summary, in Swedish
Sweden has during the past decades experienced increasing challenges in suburban, segregated areas: the inhabitants have different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds but despite that, face similar problems. Many inhabitants lack relevant networks as well as other opportunities to become a part of the society. These inhabitants claim they don´t have the “keys” to understand their society and its governmental and administrative procedures and laws. They also don´t know how to act in many daily situations.
Local governments are able to support civic society, by engaging and empowering citizens (Putnam, 1993, 2000). Many local governments elaborate strategic plans and policies in order to engage in maintaining relations with citizens. Civic dialog plattforms, e.g, are used in order to encourage citizens to gain more visibility, to express their opinion and to influence the local political processes. By these communicative actions, local governments expect a growth of positive civic attitudes and behaviour, especially in areas suffering socio-economic disadvantages (Andrews, Cowell & Downe, 2010).
Municipalities in Sweden have the ultimate responsibility of each of its inhabitants, which can be observed in municipalities’ actions, e.g. attempts to organize support to citizens’ self-support and aiming to find new ways to address these issues. Social innovations have become a significant aspect in these efforts to empower citizens.
In our paper we address the management of these kind of issues in municipalities. The paper is based on a research project that took place during 2020 - 2022.
Aim of the study
The aim of this study is to investigate and analyse municipal officials’ communicative strategies and practices, applied in citizens empowerment and trust building.
RQ1: What communicative strategies and practices – and in what ways - are used in building trust among citizens and municipality in order to empower citizens?
RQ2: How can these communicative strategies can contribute to social innovation development?
RQ3: What potential challenges can be identified in municipality’s strategic work in order to facilitate civic empowerment?
Local governments are able to support civic society, by engaging and empowering citizens (Putnam, 1993, 2000). Many local governments elaborate strategic plans and policies in order to engage in maintaining relations with citizens. Civic dialog plattforms, e.g, are used in order to encourage citizens to gain more visibility, to express their opinion and to influence the local political processes. By these communicative actions, local governments expect a growth of positive civic attitudes and behaviour, especially in areas suffering socio-economic disadvantages (Andrews, Cowell & Downe, 2010).
Municipalities in Sweden have the ultimate responsibility of each of its inhabitants, which can be observed in municipalities’ actions, e.g. attempts to organize support to citizens’ self-support and aiming to find new ways to address these issues. Social innovations have become a significant aspect in these efforts to empower citizens.
In our paper we address the management of these kind of issues in municipalities. The paper is based on a research project that took place during 2020 - 2022.
Aim of the study
The aim of this study is to investigate and analyse municipal officials’ communicative strategies and practices, applied in citizens empowerment and trust building.
RQ1: What communicative strategies and practices – and in what ways - are used in building trust among citizens and municipality in order to empower citizens?
RQ2: How can these communicative strategies can contribute to social innovation development?
RQ3: What potential challenges can be identified in municipality’s strategic work in order to facilitate civic empowerment?
Avdelning/ar
- Institutionen för strategisk kommunikation
- CIRCLE
Publiceringsår
2023
Språk
Engelska
Dokumenttyp
Konferensbidrag: abstract
Ämne
- Communication Studies
Conference name
Nordmedia
Conference date
2023-08-16 - 2023-08-18
Conference place
Bergen, Norway
Status
Published