Transdisciplinary Design

Civic Service Design – Revisiting Structural Political Participation:African-American Design Thinking

Posted on December 17, 2018

Civic Service Design :

African-American Design Thinking

Revisiting Structural Political Participation

Picture Courtesy of Jay-Z and Beyonce, Family Feud

 

A country built of blood, sweat, and capitalism. African American history, lessons, and political philosophy. Started from the bottom – Now exploring freedom with everybody else that’s been marginalized too. What does it means to move from the bottom towards freedom in justice, humanity, and levels of socio-economic? Still a growing dialogue but an informed place of America’s flaws and future hope.

How should we explore a more inclusive, integrated, and healthy political foundation?

Envisioning core values of the Individual, family, life (health and stability), history, justice, and love. Respectively moving towards a priority and practice, addressing history, restorative justice, equity, access, and inclusive practices – building for all, as best as possible. Many of the elements falling to activist work for marginalized and oppressed voices.

In Critical Fabulations, the idea of “What makes a given project a powerful one. Example of critical fabulations is its ability to stir up trouble, enlivening an activist agenda both within and beyond the design situation.[97]” (1)

Within my own experience, I have noticed there’s extraneous work that has to be done on a ground level to see political change. Not only does this perspective accept this fact, but also intends to build off it as well. As activism stands today, I believe there should be healthier ways to approach such work.

From our political system in 1963, Dr. MLK Jr. Letter from Birmingham details the far extent to which activist took to see change. He writes,

“You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”(2)

Our system is intentionally built to see slow change. Ultiamtely creating the need for extraneous levels of activism on the backs of citizens. Yet, how can our system create better opportunities to quickly engage, integrate, and pass necessary changes in healthy measures instead of people constantly putting their body, mind, and freedom on the line. How can we revisit how our system works, especially for citizen political participation and engagement?

Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams explored this concept in ‘Inventing Futures’, discussing the downfall of ‘folk politics’ stating that “It must instead combine an updated way of thinking politics (a shift from immediacy to structural analysis) with an upgraded means of doing politics (which directs action towards building platforms and expanding scales).“ (3)

From this point perhaps there needs to be an opportunity to revisit how our system works, especially for citizen political participation and engagement – in collaborative diverse ways. Critical Fabulation mentions from Haraway, ‘‘Staying with the trouble, yearning toward resurgence, requires inheriting hard histories, for everybody, but not equally and not in the same ways[55].”(1)

Exploring an opportunity to craft more accessible opportunities to incorporate citizen needs, activism, coalition building, equity, and citizen power as a part of the system – in healthy, accessible ways. Currently underlying elements of political participation require resources, time, physical presence, and community. Within these elements a person’s level of education, job, health, money, community, network, and more can affect their level of participation.

Currently my analysis of the the constitution only gives citizens power to Express, assemble, petition(all to which only MAY be taken into consideration), and vote. 4 Options, 3/4 including an extraneous approach (Express, assemble, petition) and the other remaining option voting. A single “voice” –  A single Act. All to which seems to reproduce a recycled System of Slow Progress – especially in a quickly ever progressing society. (4) Outside of these opportunities the options there is the power to run for office.

Even analyzing the public policy process (5) – it  seemingly only references community engagement one time. And if you want to change current policy it takes diligent persistence, effort, resources, and time. Even in our court systems decisions made are called into question due to various elements of a slow system, the sole voice of judge(s), lack of representation in the jury, and more that leaves people unjustly denied freedom – wrongfully convicted, detained, or stripped of their rights.

Could there be potential in contemplating new Integrated practices for political participation and supporting political system by:

1. Acknowledge the history of our country
2. Acknowledge the extraneous levels of engagement that are needed especially for oppressed, marginalized people, and communities
3. Potentially use civic service design tools to re-envision better opportunities for citizen engagement and participation- Improving our institutions, policy, courts, and laws
4. Scale and implement new practices on systematic level- Access and Equity
5. Consistent groundwork, visibility, outreach, and support of the government that directly and consistently meets with citizens

All of these simply set a stage to contemplate how might we explore a more inclusive, integrated, resilient, and healthy political participation foundation. What does it mean to move from the bottom to freedom in justice, humanity, and levels of socioeconomic status?

All the ideas proposed below are to provoke new ideas.These are very quick ideas to simply start the thinking process and stir conversation. Perhaps using Civic Service Design – “a discipline to develop solutions that are rooted in insights about the holistic experiences of those affected by public services. It considers people, processes, communications and technology as part of the solution. As described in this guide, service design methods can be applied to setting the stage, talking with people, seeing services in action, connecting the dots, trying things out, and focusing on impact.” (6)

Using this approach for new ideas to explore, support, and enhance our right to Express, Assemble, Petition, and Vote or a more fluid supportive system that can move quicker before the harsh end of the stick is dealt to the marginalized, underrepresented, and those advocating for change.

Contemplating What does a Re-Envisioned Foundation of Political Participation, Policy Making Process, Law Making Process, and courts look like today?

Is there a need to re-envision the Constitution? How it is interpreted? Or more heavily by whom? And Do we need days to “bring our country together”?

Starting ideas to Provoke thought and Discussion today:

1. Citizen Power and Role Opportunity:
   1. Temporary Advisory Seats for activist to see issue through
   2. Or perhaps rotating seat option to review laws, policy, etc. for all citizens like Jury duty
2. Frequent diverse Community groups: (different from town halls) Reviewing or Proposing policy, laws, bill process
   1. Opportunity to engage in a way that allows a conglomerate of DIVERSE citizens to create bills, law, policy etc. together but in broken down, engaging, and designed way. That is then sent to politicians
      1. Potential designated Holidays for it-Provide necessary elements to make this a realistic option for everyone- transportation, money, etc.
      2. Potential way to bring citizens together in a harmonious ways
         1. Potentially would need a tiered process
            1. Get used to it
            2. Get to know group
            3. Get to know group
            4. Process history together
            5. Process history together
            6. Process Current State together
            7. Process Current State together
            8. Analyze current system, law, bills, policy together
            9. Confirm and Pass to government

3)On voting: Holiday to give everyone an opportunity to vote without worry or concern

1. 1. 1. Provide necessary elements to make this a realistic option for everyone- transportation, money, etc.

4) On Voting: Grant more systematic opportunity to participate as a direct power and individual

1. 1. 1. Day-to-day action – Option to vote on current laws, bills, policy, etc.
         1. Technology interface in public locations to submit direct votes and data to politicians
            1. Laws, Bills, Policy must be broken down to be understood in various mediums(design) for all to understand
            2. Various locations: Subway Entry, Workplace entry, Community centers/libraries, Business frequented, etc.
            3. Example like youtube questionnaire

5)On Voting: Explore Candidate Campaign process, redesign of voter registration, voting day process, and even ballot

6)On Expression, Assemble, Petition:

1. 1. 1. Require that each step in the policy, bill, and law process must be taken for citizen feedback (across all demographics)
         1. Potentially placed at local locations (Subway Entry, Workplace entry, Community centers/libraries, Business frequented, etc. ) and designated “Law showings” in theaters or in accessible locations
         2. Social Media Algorithms that places all processed laws, policy, etc. at top of feeds
            1. Laws, Bills, Policy must be broken down to be understood in various mediums(design) for all to understand
            2. Quick response by politicians & direct opportunities to move towards policy

-Jonique Lyles

1)Critical fabulations: reworking the methods and margins of design, Daniela K. Rosner

2)Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail’ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/letter-from-birmingham-jail/552461/

3)Verkamp, Anya. Srnicek, Nick; Williams, Alex: Inventing the Future 

4)US Constitution https://www.usconstitution.net/const.pdf

5)Public Policy Analysishttp://www.laits.utexas.edu/gov310/PEP/policy/     

6)Civic Service Design, https://civicservicedesign.com/