Participation: A Process of Reflective Modernization of the Economy and Society

Workers' participation can contribute to industrial democracy in Germany -this was one of the conceptual cornerstones of the state-financed German humanization program in its early phase (1976-1980). Experiences from that period are discussed in the light of the concept of reflective modernization and under current conditions of mass unemployment and economic crisis: What are the perspectives of participation in this socio-economic context? What might social science research contribute?