Claims-making and consensus in collective group processes

Abstract

Studies of consensus-based groups have historically focused on decision making processes as the defining attribute of a collective structure. Such organizations are typically analyzed as critical alternatives to capitalist bureaucratic hierarchies. This study of a small business, collectively owned and operated by women, expands the understanding of collective process by analyzing the relationship between democratic participation and the nature of the organization as socially constructed through the claimsmaking activities of its members. Tensions arising between the normative value of claims-making, the empowerment of women, running a sustainable business, and the use of consensus decision making are raised with examples from the business.

Citation

Woehrle, L.M. (2002), "Claims-making and consensus in collective group processes", Coy, P.G. (Ed.) Consensus Decision Making, Northern Ireland and Indigenous Movements (Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, Vol. 24), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 3-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-786X(03)80019-8