Preliminary Results of the P.A.R.L.E.R. Project—Participate, Learn, Reflect: Linking Engagement and Hesitancy

The P.A.R.L.E.R. project (Participate, Learn, Reflect: Linking Engagement and Reluctance) explores the underlying causes of citizen non-participation in local participatory processes. It is based on an innovative citizen science approach in schools, involving students in collecting the voices of adults who are unfamiliar with local democratic practices. Conducted in educational institutions in the Saint-Étienne area, the project pursues a dual objective: scientific, by reaching audiences often “invisible” in traditional participatory mechanisms; and educational, by raising students’ awareness of research in the social sciences and of active citizenship. Through this approach, we examine the barriers to civic engagement and seek to identify levers for making participatory processes more inclusive.