An Interdisciplinary Deliberative Forum: Building a Policy Framework for Cooperative Housing in Dublin

Dr Kasia Wodniak, School of Social Work and Social Policy

Dr Anne Holohan, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy (Sociology)

Dr Sarah Browne, Trinity Business School

 

“An Interdisciplinary Deliberative Forum: Building a Policy Framework for Cooperative Housing in Dublin” project employs an innovative Deliberative Forum method to examine the potential of cooperative housing as a more democratic alternative to Dublin's housing crisis. The research design progresses through five key stages during a half-day event: it begins with a pre-deliberation survey to establish a baseline, provides participants with balanced briefing materials, facilitates small-group discussions, holds a plenary Q&A session with experts, and concludes with a post-deliberation survey to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes. Moderated deliberation allows for capturing how participants' opinions evolve from uninformed to considered judgments. This approach is fundamentally interdisciplinary, integrating social policy, sociology, and business studies to holistically analyse housing as a social good, a democratic endeavor, and an economically viable model. By fusing these perspectives, the project aims to generate nuanced, actionable insights for creating inclusive housing policies that are simultaneously socially grounded, politically astute, and economically informed.