THE DESIRE FOR EQUALITY: THE FUNCTION OF THE PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIP DISCOURSES IN DEVELOPMENT

The partnership and participation discourses are crucial development discourses that are at the intersection between an abstract development and a local democracy. The aim of this paper is to analyze one segment of the functions of the participation and partnership discourses and the relation between desire and these two discourses. The methodology of the analysis follows Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge, in particular the rules of formation of a discourse using mostly secondary sources as the basis of reconstructing the analyzed discourses. The analysis focuses on the legitimizing, depoliticizing and hierarchizing functions and finds out that both terms - partnership and participation - legitimize projects conducted in their name. Similar to the term 'development' they contain a positive connotation while remaining rather empty. At the same time by focusing on technical solutions participation and partnership depoliticize unequal relations of power. Finally, despite its aim the partnership/participation discourse may actually undermine attempts at equality within development discourse. The desires connected to the discourse show that the participation and partnership may be the result of the lack in the liberal democracies.