People’s voices for sustainability – Exploring expectations for participatory democratic practices in Europe

Sustainability transitions are deeply intertwined with democratic practices. Specifically, democratic participation practices (DPs) proposed by local, national, or transnational institutions and governments, developed through social innovation initiatives, or emerging from new social movements, are increasingly relevant to sustainability transition policies and practices. However, it remains unclear what the key expectations are of the social actors involved in these practices, and what outcomes their performative actions entail. Taking stock of 13 case studies of DPs in Europe, approached through the lens of the sociology of expectations, this study investigates the macro- and micro-expectations of the involved social actors, considering the extent to which these were met, and the underlying narratives that frame them. The analysis posits that DPs do not always meet actors’ expectations but may contribute to other outcomes (e.g., policy learning, social learning), paving the way for novel visions of sustainability transitions. The research employs qualitative thematic analysis and a machine-learning topic model to analyse data from 136 interviews with case study participants. Key findings identify shortcomings in meeting expectations, highlight the main narratives framing DPs, and suggest that these practices, nevertheless, constitute seeds for advancing a truly transformative change toward more sustainable futures.