從歧見到共識－公共審議中的網絡平衡

From Difference to Consensus: Balanced Networking in Public Deliberation

林祐聖(Yu-Sheng Lin)

《臺灣民主季刊》 7卷2期 (2010/06) Pp. 177-216

https://doi.org/10.6448/TDQ.201006.0177

摘要

既有審議民主的研究，對於共識達成的過程與決策合法性的來源並未多加著墨，爲了填補此一不足，本文以2004於台北所舉行的代理孕母公民共識會議爲例，應用社會網絡研究中的平衡理論(balance theory)與轉移性(transitivity)來說明公共審議中的決定過程。本文認爲，公共審議是一個網絡化的過程，在此一過程中，參與者尋求建立一個平衡的態度網絡，避免因爲不平衡所造成的認知失調與緊張，參與者的偏好轉變並非毫無根據或是孤立個人(isolated)的決定，而是受到他們的網絡位置的影響。當態度網絡達成正向平衡時，公共審議便傾向於達成共識作結；若意見網絡達成的是負向平衡，便易產生具合法性的非共識決定。若有成員扮演橋樑的角色，連結不同立場的成員，那麼參與者越易形成正向平衡的網絡，而扮演橋樑的成員的提議，也將成爲共識的主要內容。

關鍵字

共識形成 ； 平衡理論 ； 轉移性 ； 公共審議 ； 公民會議

並列摘要

Theorists of deliberative democracy do not pay sufficient attention to the process of consensus-building and the sources of legitimacy of a decision. To supplement this omission, by introducing the balanced theory and transitivity of social network analysis, I argue that public deliberation is a process of reaching a balanced network that keeps discussants from suffering cognitive tension. The discussant's preference is not an independent outcome but rather shaped by his or her position in the social network. By observing the Surrogate Motherhood Consensus Conference in 2004 in Taipei, Taiwan, I argue that when the discussants reach a positive balance, they are more likely to build consensus; when the social network is in negative balance, they are less likely to reach consensus. However, a negatively balanced network may increase the legitimacy of the decision because the cognitive tension of discussants has been alleviated. A discussant whose speaking connects different subgroups positively is called a bridge. When the bridge exists in public deliberation, the discussants are more likely to reach a positive balance. Moreover, the bridge's proposal will likely be the sketch of the consensus.

並列關鍵字

consensus-building ； balanced theory ； transitivity ； public deliberation ； consensus conference

參考文獻

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