ABSTRACT

Journalism is not the only discipline that has seen the rise of ordinary people taking part in the collection, analysis and sometimes creation of different forms of information and cultural content. Indeed, a range of institutions and disciplines now solicit various forms of participation within their realms. This chapter focuses on two arenas that have incorporated citizen participation into their work: science and the arts. Each arose from different histories and aims and, of course, different epistemological frameworks. It argues that journalism sits somewhere between the highly empirical discipline of science and the heavily interpretive practices of the arts. As with citizen journalism, the forms and aims of participation are debated within citizen science. Participatory forms of art are quite diverse and face some of the same questions as citizen journalism. As with journalism, many professionals appear to want to maintain ultimate control, and what participatory art reveals are the ways controls are reinforced and tied to existing institutions.