Re-gilding the ghetto: community work and community development in 21st-century Britain

Abstract

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copy edited version of an extract/chapter published in Radical social work today: social work at the crossroads. Details of the denitive published version and how to purchase it are available online at: https://policypress.co.uk/radical-social-work-today Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details.

Exploiting ambiguity in community development: lesson from the UK Coalition government (2010–2015)

“…In consequence of CD's values and principles being underpinned by such ambiguous concepts, multiple definitions exist. These chiefly revolve around whether CD is: (i) an approach to working that can be adapted by a range of practitioners (Henderson & Thomas, 2013); (ii) an occupation that adheres to particular standards (Banks, 2011), and (iii) a political / social movement (Ledwith, 2011;. However, some definitions incorporate all three.…”

“…For example, Ledwith (2011) argues that more 'radical' CD practices are encapsulated through social movements and campaigning work where CD workers facilitate the organization of community groups committed to political action for social change. In contrast, CD as service provision, a way of working and an occupation is more commonly referred to as a 'reformist' practice rooted in conservative and consensus-seeking ideologies critically focusing on community and individual self-help; but rarely connecting to broader social change movements and processes (Banks, 2011).…”

“…There is significant overlap between CD and its related practices of community work, community practice, community organizing and neighbourhood work. Community work and community practice are chiefly regarded as an umbrella term for a range of community-based practices which can embrace CD (Banks, 2011). CD workers are typically characterized as enablers, educators and/or facilitators who '…serve the interest of communities, and help them gain greater influence over the decisions that affect their lives' (Gilchrist & Taylor, 2016, p.12-13).…”

“…However, exploiting and re-shaping CD is not unique to the Coalition government. Under the Conservative governments of Thatcher andMajor (1979-1997) there were blurred boundaries between CD and community work, with the statutory and voluntary sectors reducing the numbers of CD workers (Banks, 2011) but increasing their community workers by fivehundred percent (Popple, 2015). Neither is it exclusive to Conservative nor Conservative-led governments.…”

Organizing for change: North Tyneside Community Development Project and its legacy

“…This is despite numerous regeneration programmes in the post CDP period, including the Urban Programme, City Challenge, Single Regeneration Budget, Enterprise Zones, and Neighbourhood Management (Robinson and Townsend, 2016). The CDP metaphor of 'gilding the ghetto' is as apt today as it was in 1977, with North Shields, along with other former CDP areas, having been re-gilded several times (Banks, 2011). It is interesting that Wacquant (2007, p. 68) in discussing territorial stigmatization in the age of what he calls 'advanced marginality', names the Meadow Well (mistakenly identified as located in Newcastle rather than North Shields) as an example of a relegated urban neighbourhood in England.…”