Partnerships, community groups and social inclusion

Abstract

The themes of collaboration and partnership lie at the heart of the vision of a range of UK initiatives designed to tackle social exclusion. However, the benefits are extolled and the costs to community groups are minimised. Some of the problems and possibilities for the involvement of community groups in partnerships are considered. Partnerships are characterised by processes of inclusion and exclusion, dominance and subordination and it is argued that attention must be paid to the structures and processes involved. New ways of thinking about representation are required, with priority given to including those with the least power who are nevertheless the most expert in identifying the needs of their own communities, if local action is going to reduce social exclusion.

Informal Learning of the Unemployed as a Factor of Social Inclusion

“…Social inclusion can be understood in different ways: as a person's involvement in social life, participation in social life (Preece, 2001;Mayo, 2000;Tett, 2005;Topping & Maloney, ISSN 1392-9569 E-ISSN 2351 Socialinis ugdymas / Socialinės inovacijos socialinių industrijų plėtrai / 2014, t. 39, Nr. 3…”

Community-based learning and research: partnerships, power and learning

“…Yet they bring a number of advantages including the sharing of resources and expertise, as well as accessing broader networks than would be possible if the partners acted alone. Research shows both that partnership working which takes account of the wishes and circumstances of everyone, rather than matching perceived problems with a standard model of support, is more likely to lead to synergy of purpose and also that by combining knowledge, resources, approaches and operational cultures, partner organisations are able to achieve more together than they could on their own (Tett, 2005). Moreover, exposing the different partners to the assumptions and working methods of their collaborators will challenge their 'common sense' knowledge.…”

The importance of language, context, and communication as components of successful partnership

“…In a review of the literature, Tett (2005) found that successful partnerships are clear about the purpose of their endeavor, and that members reach agreement about who is responsible for which aspects of the partnership. A good partnership recognizes that each member' s unique contributions reflect trust and commitment to clear communication.…”