Is Mainstreaming Transformative? Theorizing Mainstreaming in the Context of Diversity and Deliberation

Abstract

This article locates mainstreaming within a typology of inclusion, reversal, and displacement and maps these three approaches to mainstreaming, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each. It focuses on the potential of the transformative approach and suggests that, if augmented by the resources of deliberative democracy, this transformative model of mainstreaming is best placed to respond to the increasingly important demands of diversity. It suggests that deliberative mechanisms, such as citizens’ forums, could be useful in enhancing this transformative model of mainstreaming.