Citizens' participation in local environmental protection system

• Published in: Sociologija 2012, Vol.54 (3), p.549-566
• Main Author: Cikic, Jovana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: citizens’ participation; environmental protection system; local community; Novi Sad
• ISSN: 0038-0318; 2406-0712
• DOI: 10.2298/SOC1203549C

Changes in theoretical approach but also practice of planning environmental protection brought forth the issue of citizens? participation. Active citizens? participation is particularly stressed at the local environmental protection system because local community is considered as a framework of citizens? everyday life. At the same, capacity for citizens? participation is determined by interactions of three factors: a) general social conditions, b) characteristics of environmental protection system and c) characteristics of citizens? environmental awareness. The analysis, based on the results of the empirical research, is focused on role of citizens as social actors in environmental protection system at the local community level (city of Novi Sad). The research starts from the premise that although there is an elementary citizens? environmental awareness, its manifest dimension is not well developed primarily due to the to lack of tradition in political participation, but also inadequate cooperation with relevant institutions within the system, as well as hierarchy of everyday life problems that citizens have to deal with that, for the most of them, do not leave enough space and motives for the engagement of this kind. The purpose of this paper is to depict factors that stimulate or inhibit needs and capacities for citizens? participation within the processes of defining, decision making and implementation of decisions important for environmental protection. Sa izmenama u teorijskom pristupu, kao i praksi u planiranju zastite zivotne sredine jedan od centralnih problema postaje pitanje potreba i mogucnosti participacija gradjana u ovom procesu. Aktivno ucestvovanje gradjana u sistemu zastite zivotne sredine posebno se potencira na lokalnom nivou, s obzirom na to da lokalne drustvene zajednice predstavljaju okvir njihovog svakodnevnog zivota. Pri tom, mogucnosti za participaciju gradjana odredjene su medjusobnim delovanjem tri bazicna cinioca: a) opsti drustveni uslovi, b) obelezja sistema zastite zivotne sredine i c) stepen razvijenosti socijalnoekoloske svesti gradjana. U radu se, na osnovu rezultata empirijskog istrazivanja, analizira uloga gradjana u sistemu zastite zivotne sredine lokalne drustvene zajednice (Novog Sada). Pri tom, polazi se od stava da iako medju gradjanima postoji elementarna socijalnoekoloska svest, njena manifestna dimenzija nije dovoljno razvijena usled, pre svega, nedostatka tradicije u politickoj participaciji, neadekvatne saradnj