Before moving to the next unit, take a few minutes to reflect — in writing, for yourself — on the following:

Think of a real situation you've witnessed or been part of — a public meeting, a school or university decision, a neighborhood initiative, a workplace consultation, or something in the news — where "citizen" or "stakeholder" input was invited.

Consider:

  • Where would you place that process on Arnstein's Ladder? Was it closer to manipulation, tokenism, or genuine partnership?
  • What made you place it there — was there a specific moment or signal (like the ones we discussed in the Čengić Vila case) that revealed how much power participants actually had?
  • Looking back, is there anything that could have shifted it higher up the ladder — even slightly?

Write 150–200 words. You don't need to name people or institutions if you'd rather keep it general — the goal is to practice applying the framework, not to make a public accusation. This reflection won't be graded on "correctness" — there's no single right rung — but on how clearly you connect your own observation to the concepts from this unit.