Everyday Democracy in Action: Towards Change in the Workplace 

Where and how does everyday democracy take place? How do we reproduce (or not) democratic processes in contexts external to governmental institutions, such as at school, in the workplace, at home or amongst friends? How can we make our voices heard even without institutional and social infrastructure to accompany them? To find out, the Critical ChangeLab research team at European Alternatives worked with young people working at the Maison de l’Europe in Paris. Over three sessions, we approached the subject of democracy in everyday life, and decided on ways in which democratic tools and processes could be implemented. We asked questions such as: do children and young people have a say in family decision-making within the family sphere? Do we have rights at home, and how are they decided? Is the workplace a democracy, where all employees share responsibility equally, or are some employees’ voices more important than others’?  

The outcome of this Critical ChangeLab was the co-creation of a chart of social rights and duties in the non-profit organisation’s workplace. The objective, decided by the participants, was to introduce this document to their colleagues as a means of vocalizing the need for mutual respect, organization and communication in the workplace. 
 

How to voice opinions and effect change 

At European Alternatives, we seek alternative means of enacting democracy, through participative citizen assemblies and the arts, focusing especially on conceptions of democracy beyond the nation-state. When it comes to the workplace, however, it was the participants’ collective experience of working at the Maison de l’Europe which brought about the question of how to voice opinions and effect change in the workplace. To do this, we discussed over the course of several sessions what it means to be heard, and how we can proceed from democracy in discussion to democracy in action.  

The Critical ChangeLab researcher was joined by five participants aged 19-22. They shared a similar background as students of political science and international relations, working in either internships or civil service at the Maison de l’Europe, whose objective is to encourage open discussion of European projects and issues, to provide information and to promote active and inclusive citizenship through cultural activities and participatory conferences. 

Challenges, Learnings & Feedback    

Because the lab took place over just a few days, the participants couldn’t workshop their reflections in discussion with other colleagues, which meant that some voices for whom the conversation would be relevant were not able to be heard. Had the sessions taken place over a longer period, with more time for reflection in between, we could have perhaps engaged with an even wider, more comprehensive reflection on workplace values, issues and needs. 

The participants agreed that making time and space for a discussion about their workplace allowed them to compare perspectives and to come up with new ideas and fresh approaches to their shared difficulties. 

By focusing our final session on creating a chart of rights and duties in the workplace, we were able to funnel our reflections into a document that itself reflected the processes and evolution of discussion throughout the sessions. Having such an artefact is thus beneficial to the participants and the researchers alike, because it represents a product of our collaboration.   
 

Looking ahead

Building on the success of our initial Critical ChangeLab, we aim to deepen our exploration of everyday democracy in different contexts. By expanding the project timeline and broadening participant involvement, we can foster a more comprehensive understanding of the issues, dynamics and possible actions. We seek to refine our methodology to facilitate longer-term reflection and collaboration, enabling us to develop more impactful tools and strategies for empowering participants to shape their environment.