Participatory Democracy and the Washing Machine Syndrome: Lights and Shadows of Inclusive Archiving between Demagogy and Social Participation

Abstract

This article offers an analysis of the wide spectrum of participatory archival phenomenologies and practices, with the aim of identifying the critical issues inherent in these processes of documentary sedimentation, particularly in relation to their defining feature: the ethical commitments that shape them. It critically examines the role of archivists within frameworks of reparative social justice, drawing attention to the potential risks of instrumentalizing both the "democratization of history" and the use of digital resources. The discussion ultimately addresses archival responsibility toward the emotional and informational needs that give rise to participatory archives, grounding them in a physical and community-based dimension.