Community Development As Micropolitics : Comparing Theories, Policies and Politics in America and Britain

Community development is routinely invoked as a practical solution to a myriad of social problems, even though there is little consensus about its meaning and purpose. Through a comparative analysis of competing US and UK perspectives on community development since 1968, this book critically examines the contradictory ideas and practices that have shaped this field. Such an approach exposes problematic politics that have far-reaching consequences for those committed to working for social justice. This accessible book offers an alternative model for thinking about the politics of community development and will appeal to academics, students, and professionals in the community development field. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTAS MICROPOLITICS 2 Contents 6 About the author 8 Acknowledgements 10 1. Introduction: what are the micropolitics of community development? 12 Community development 13 Social justice 14 Social welfare 17 Understanding community development as discourse 18 Organisation of the book 22 2. Community development in a post-civil rights America 26 Introduction 26 1968: the problematic transition from civil rights to economic rights 26 The rise and fall of the Democracy discourse 31 The rise and rise of the Power discourse 38 The rise of technocracy and the Poverty discourse 45 Conclusions 49 3. When technocracy met Marxism: community development projects in Britain 52 Introduction 52 The welfare state and social change 53 The Rationalist discourse and the activist state 57 The Structuralist discourse and the activist state 63 Conclusions 69 4. Community development and the rise of the New Right in America 72 Introduction 72 The New Right in the 1980s 73 The Populist discourse – against ideology 78 The decline of radicalism in the Partnership discourse 89 The Empowerment discourse: a transformational approach? 94 Conclusions 102 5. From radicalism to realism: rethinking community development in a post-Marxist Britain 104 Introduction 104 The crisis of the left and the problem of ‘actual existing socialism’ 105 The post-Marxist discourse: reconstructing radicalism? 110 The Realist discourse: constructing a professional identity 118 Conclusions 123 6. Commodifying community: American community development and neoliberal hegemony 126 Introduction 126 The new Democrats in a post-Reagan America 127 The Revitalisation discourse: recapitalising communities 132 The Coalition discourse: unity through diversity 137 Conclusions 143 7. Privatising public life: neoliberalism and the dilemmas of British community development 144 Introduction 144 Thatcher’s legacy in the 1990s 145 The Participation discourse: privatising public life 149 The Transformation discourse: reclaiming radical community development? 157 Conclusions 162 8. Between economic crisis and austerity: what next for community development in America and Britain? 164 References 172 Index 186 Community development is routinely invoked as a practical solution to tackle a myriad of social problems, even though there is little consensus about its meaning and purpose. Through a comparative analysis of competing perspectives on community development since 1968, this book critically examines the contradictory ideas and practices that have shaped this field in the US and the UK. This approach exposes a problematic politics that have farreaching consequences for those committed to working for social justice. This accessible book offers an alternative model for thinking about the politics of community development and so will appeal to academics, postgraduate students and community development workers. Community development is routinely invoked as a practical solution to tackle a myriad of social problems, even though there is little consensus about its meaning and purpose. Through a comparative analysis of competing perspectives on community development since 1968, this book critically examines the contradictory ideas and practices that have shaped this field in the US and the UK. This approach exposes problematic politics that have far-reaching consequences for those committed to working for social justice. This accessible book offers an alternative model for thinking about the politics of community development and so will appeal to academics, postgraduate students and community development field A critical examination of the contradictory ideas and practices that have shaped community development in the US and the UK. It exposes a problematic politics that have far-reaching consequences for those committed to working for social justice.