Political perceptions and practices of participation as a mean for the governance of territories. A comparative analysis of territorial scales in the macro-region of southern Chile

Abstract

The territory is a relevant factor on how people organize their lives and conceive their identity. It allows project planning actions and policies and raises the discussion on the most appropriate territorial level for those actions. This article explores practices of citizen participation and peopleÍ€™s perceptions of political institutions, contrasting territorial boundaries established administratively (regions) with types of territory defined according to socio-demographic criteria (conurbation, intermediate cities and rural areas). Based on the conceptualization of territorial governance, data from a survey conducted in 2013, concerning political perceptions and participation practices related to territorial space are presented. We analyze the definition and distinction of geographic territories and its relationship with citizen subjectivity, as relevant factors for the construction of territorial governance and deployment of public policy.