Towards a Theory of Statecommunity Partnerships: Interpreting the Irish Muintir Na Tíre Movement's Experience

Abstract

This paper begins by outlining two very different models or ideal-types of partnership relations between community movements and the state. What we call the optimistic model of partnerships suggests that community interests are central to the partnership approach and that they can expect to be empowered by their participation in partnerships. The pessimistic model of partnerships, in contrast, draws our attention to the manner power imbalances can skew partnership-type relations to the advantage of the state and to the disempowerment of community interests. How well these optimistic and pessimistic models fit the phenomenon of partnership as experienced by the Irish community movement, Muintir na Tire, is then considered.The Muintir case poses numerous interpretative challenges, as elements of both models are relevant to understanding it, though pessimistic model assumptions turn out to be especially relevant.Finally, the possibility that community interests may seek to exploit the opportunities the optimistic model sees contributing to empowerment, and to resist the disempowerment the pessimistic model sees flowing from co-optation, allows us to push beyond our pessimistic and optimistic models to propose a third model of partnership. What we call the activist model focuses on the abilities of community interests to assert their own capacity for collective agency by devising strategies to exploit the opportunities and negotiate the constraints associated with partnerships more to their own advantage.