Assessing diversity and inclusivity within the Transition movement: an urban case study

Abstract

The Transition movement has experienced remarkable growth in its first decade, yet there remains considerable doubt about its ability to appeal to a diverse audience. To date, there have been few studies that have explicitly examined diversity of participation in the movement. Addressing this gap in the literature, a case study is presented of Transition Town Tooting (TTT) that employed a mixed methods approach comprising semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a quantitative survey. The results indicate that the demographic profiles of TTT participants do not represent the diversity of the Tooting population, which is exacerbated by TTT's 'passive' approach to inclusivity within the core group. Reflecting upon the implications for Transition's goal of local resilience, it is suggested that, particularly within dense urban communities, initiatives may have more potential for engaging diverse voices through a local 'brokering' role between various sub-communities.

Transition Initiatives as Light Intentional Communities: Uncovering Liminality and Friction

“…This group can be characterized as being middle-class, somewhat above average standards of wealth (though there is some diversity), and highly educated (university level on average). These demographics correspond with earlier findings on the demographics of individuals participating in the Transition movement [14,15,35] (see Grossman and Creamer [36] for an assessment of diversity and inclusivity in the Transition movement). The individuals participating in the research project participate in TTL mainly through activities and meetings organized by the different subgroups.…”

Negotiating energy democracy in practice: governance processes in community energy projects

“…This is pertinent to CE groups, who might manage and distribute substantial sums of money (Walker et al 2010, Bristow et al 2012. While thus framed as an opportunity for disadvantaged communities (Weinrub and Giancatarino 2015), findings from research on CE and environmental projects show that participation is often limited to those in higher socio-economic groups (Angel 2016, Grossmann andCreamer 2017). Kearns (1995) has described this as the conundrum of democratic governance: the more participatory democracy becomes, the more it risks exacerbating existing inequalities.…”

“…For those sceptical of the links between forms and norms of governance, community governance simply signifies a change in scale, with the local distribution of power determining the outcomes of material and symbolic contests among actors (Lane and Corbett 2005). When seeking to develop an inclusive community project, it is therefore important to consider the patchwork of concerns and interests that exist within a place, and the power relations between them (McMorran et al 2014, Creamer 2015, Grossmann and Creamer 2017. This is pertinent to CE groups, who might manage and distribute substantial sums of money (Walker et al 2010, Bristow et al 2012.…”

“…That people are willing to challenge things without first subscribing to the, what's the word, groupthink. (CG3, board member) Some CE groups recognised that their approach of 'passive inclusivity' (Grossmann and Creamer 2017) did not necessarily break down participation barriers. In response, these groups have become more proactive in their recruitment to encourage a more representative governing body:…”

Permaculture and the social design of nature

“…Too true, and similar critiques have been levelled at Transition and their use of community (Mason and Whitehead 2012;Neal 2013). While many within these permaculture-based social movements find the community rhetoric appealing and enabling, Transition's idealized community is identified as problematic (Aiken 2014(Aiken , 2012Barr and Devine-Wright 2012;Chatterton and Cutler 2008;Feola and Nunes 2014;Grossmann and Creamer 2016;Taylor Aiken 2017). Rather than investigate the nuances of community here, this article seeks to trace the lineage from identifying particular processes and arrangements as natural, then seeking to normatively apply and design the social in this light.…”