Diversity in the Online Deliberations of NGOs in the Caribbean

摘要

Deliberative democracy has been promoted as a way of improving legitimacy and political equality. This article seeks to understand how deliberation takes place within the intersection of two unique spaces: regional civil society groups in the Caribbean and communication in online forums. Specifically, I explore how various forms of participant diversity influence deliberation. Using both content analysis and interview data, I argue that occupational and country diversity contribute to the use of reasoned arguments. The results suggest that online deliberative spaces could be useful in international public policy arenas.