Rocking the boat while staying in it: connecting ends and means in radical community work

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oonagh Mc Ardle
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Dual Role ◽  
The State ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Intimate Connection ◽  
Agents Of Change

Abstract At a time when the term ‘radical’ is predominantly associated with intolerance and violence, this article explicitly interrogates its meaning and application in community development praxis. Based on a qualitative inquiry, influenced by community development principles, community workers with rich experience at both micro- and macro-levels in Ireland were interviewed individually, then collectively to elicit their perspectives on the possibilities and challenges for radical community work in Ireland. While specifically located, its conclusions have relevance for community work and community development globally. Findings show that being a professional and a radical are not incompatible. Some radical community workers recognize their dual role in service of the state and their obligation to work with others to change it. Acknowledging that marginalized communities do not have the access to power available to more privileged communities necessitates strategies to maximize influence. At the same time, there is an intimate connection between the methods used to transform society and the nature of the subsequent society. As workers accountable to communities, funders and the profession itself, the strategies engaged with and tactics adopted warrant careful consideration. This article seeks to challenge the dichotomy of either conflict or consensus approaches as overly simplistic. Its suggests that some community workers can hold a radical agenda and conflictual ideology while pro-actively engaging with decision-makers who, although part of systems, which perpetuate inequality, can also be agents of change.

Re-engaging with community work as a method of practice in social work: A view from Northern Ireland

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaitali Das ◽  
Martin O’Neill ◽  
John Pinkerton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
The State ◽  
Northern Irish ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Current Context ◽  
Community Sector

Summary This article investigates community work as a method in social work in Northern Ireland. It traces the processes that have led to the marginalisation of community work within social work practices and the complex relationship between community development and social work. Nonetheless, the welfare state is undergoing change, wherein new agendas of personalisation, service user involvement, community engagement and partnership are emerging, which are changing the occupational space of social work. We argue that this change can be an opportunity through which social work can and must re-engage with community development, particularly within the existing political arrangements and sectarian context of Northern Ireland. However, social work’s engagement in the community presents risks given its current relationship with the state and loss of trust within the Northern Irish community. We discuss these risks and further possibilities. Findings The article draws from contemporary literature on the current context of community development and service provision in Northern Ireland social work’s involvement. The possibilities for community social work are explored through recent policy initiatives and the current situation of the community sector. Risks that stem from social work’s relationship with the state, and with community organisations as well as the contradiction between discourses of partnership in service delivery and the ground reality are considered. Applications Our analysis suggests the need for (a) collective action by social workers through collective representation, (b) a new conceptualisation of professionalism that incorporates partnerships with other workers in the care sector and (c) education that has contemporary resonance.

Reflections on Institutional Cosmopolitanism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Beardsworth
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Nuclear Disarmament ◽  
Global Policy ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Political Purpose ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Change Mitigation

With its moral commitment to the individual, cosmopolitanism has often downplayed the role of the state in cosmopolitan commitments and their practices. There is, however, emerging concern to put the state back into cosmopolitan concerns. This chapter argues that two outstanding reasons for this intellectual move are of an institutional and political nature. First, despite the recent pluralization of global actors, states remain the major agents of change within a (post-Western) system of states; both the moral and political purpose of the state should therefore be aligned with global imperatives. Second, a clearly formulated “marriage” between the global and the national is required to line up institutional motivation for enlightened global policy. This chapter argues, accordingly, for cosmopolitan state responsibilities toward the provision of global public goods (examples include nuclear disarmament, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development).

scholarly journals Community Development and Local Social Capital

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Jordan ◽  
Bulent Anil ◽  
Abdul Munasib
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
The State ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Economic Growth And Development ◽  
Geographical Clusters

While a substantial amount of research has been devoted to showing what social capital does, research explaining social capital itself lags behind. The literature has a long tradition of examining the effect of social capital on local economic growth and development. In this paper we examine whether local economic development can explain the variation in social capital across various geographical clusters in the state of Georgia. We begin by devising a measurement tool, a Human Development Index (HDI), to measure community development. Our social capital measure includes associational memberships, voluntary activities, and philanthropy obtained from the Georgia Social Capital Survey. The findings show that even after accounting for various demographic and economic characteristics, the HDI explains the variation in a number of social capital levels (especially those measured by associational involvement) across various geographical clusters in the state of Georgia.

The Pittsburgh Transition: Not Quite So Simple

2021 ◽  
pp. 089124242110248
Author(s):  
Sabina Deitrick ◽  
Christopher Briem
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Restructuring ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
The State ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Significant Other ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Economic Trends ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Benjamin Armstrong’s article compares state economic development policies in Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the 1980s, the period of major regional economic restructuring. Armstrong argues that what separated Pittsburgh from Cleveland in the ensuring years was the state-mandated inclusion of the city’s universities as major economic development decision makers and the role that advanced technology played in Pittsburgh’s recovery—much more prominent than in Cleveland’s. The authors agree that the 1980s expanded stakeholders in the region’s traditional economic development strategies, but not to the extent that Armstrong argues, and that significant other factors have affected the two regions in recent decades. The authors also find that the divergence in economic trends between the two regions is not a strong as Armstrong suggests.

Lineages of the Developmentalist State: Transnationality and Village India, 1900–1965

2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subir Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The State ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Planning Commission ◽  
Pilot Projects ◽  
Food Grain ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
Jawaharlal Nehru

On 2 October 1952, marking Gandhi's fourth birth anniversary after his assassination in 1948, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of postcolonial India, launched the Community Development (CD) Programs. Dedicating the programs to Gandhi's memory allowed Nehru to claim symbolic legitimacy for them. At the same time, this centerpiece of Nehruvian policy in the Indian countryside was heavily interventionist, billed as “the method ... through which the [state] seeks to bring about social and economic transformation in India's villages” (Government of India 1952). In its heyday, CD preoccupied the Planning Commission, was linked to the office of the Prime Minister, had a ministry dedicated to it, and formed part of the domain of action of the rapidly proliferating state and other development agencies. Fifteen pilot projects, each covering 300 villages, were launched in all the major states. Planning documents of the day register high enthusiasm and optimism for these programs. However, by the mid-1960s, barely a decade after the fanfare of its launch, the tone of planners toward CD turned first despairing and then oppositional. They called for abandonment of its ambitious aim of the total development of Indian villages in favor of more focused interventions to achieve a rapid increase in food-grain production.

Where Do New Ideas (About Class) Come From?

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Weinstein
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Labor History ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
The State ◽  
The Political ◽  
Working Class History ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
American Labor

In my comment I raise two main questions about the Eley/Nield essay. First, I express some doubts about whether the issues discussed in their essay can be unproblematically transposed to historiographical debates in areas beyond Western Europe and North America. Certain themes, such as the need to reemphasize the political, are hardly pressing given the continual emphasis on politics and the state in Latin American labor history. Closely related to this, I question whether the state of gender studies within labor history can be used, in the way these authors seem to be doing, as a barometer of the sophistication and vitality of labor and working-class history. Despite recognizing the tremendous contribution of gendered approaches to labor history, I express doubts about its ability to help us rethink the category of class, and even express some concern that it might occlude careful consideration of class identities. Instead, pointing to two pathbreaking works in Latin American labor history, I argue that the types of questions we ask about class, and primarily about class, can provide the key to innovative scholarship about workers even if questions such as gender or ethnicity go unexamined. Finally, I point out that class will only be a vital category of analysis if it is recognized not simply as “useful,” but as forming a basis for genuinely creative and innovative historical studies.

scholarly journals Protocol to assess the values and preferences towards SARS-CoV-2 self-testing among the general population and their representatives, healthcare personnel and decision-makers in health: a multi-country mixed methods study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonjelle Shilton ◽  
Elena Ivanova Reipold ◽  
Albert Roca ◽  
Guillermo Z. Martínez-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
General Population ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Testing ◽  
Views And Perceptions

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Accessible, safe and client-centred SARS-CoV-2 testing services are an effective way to halt its transmission. Testing enables individuals to isolate or quarantine to prevent further transmission. In countries with limited health systems and laboratory capacity, the provision of accessible and safe screening for COVID-19 is challenging. Self-testing provides a convenient, private and safe testing option. However, it also raises some important concerns relating to a lack of counselling and a clear pathway to ensure timely reporting of self-test results to national surveillance systems. Investigating community members’ views and perceptions is crucial to inform the most effective and safe strategies for implementing SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Methods: This study will be conducted in nine countries: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines and South Africa. It is a multi-site, mixed methods, observational study that consists of two components: cross-sectional surveys and a qualitative inquiry among four respondent groupings: the general population, general population representatives, healthcare workers and decision-makers. Our main research question is how useful, and under which circumstances, would SARS-CoV-2 self-testing be for populations in low-resource settings, to diagnose and prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2? The general population and the healthcare worker surveys will be analysed separately, using bivariate and multivariate inferential analysis and descriptive statistics. The qualitative inquiries, which will comprise semi-structured interviews and group interviews, will be audio recorded, transcribed and coded. Thematic analysis will be conducted. Discussion: The views and perceptions of local populations are crucial for leading the discussion around the safest strategies for implementing SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. This study intends to generate evidence about the different sociocultural specificities that may hinder or accelerate the widespread utilisation of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Dissemination of results will be via publications, presentations at conferences, and dissemination events specifically targeted at local decision makers, civil society and patient groups.

scholarly journals Mesoeconomics of Migration and Trade

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Bijan Bidabad ◽  
Mahshid Sherafati
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
The State ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
International Economy ◽  
Wage Elasticity ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
Similar Shape ◽  
Previous State ◽  
The Government

In this paper, we analyze Mesoeconomics of migration and trade in interregional and international economy. Decision-makers are interested in analyzing how changing the prices or wages will lead to these movements and what policies can be devised to revert the markets into their initial equilibrium. We assume in our simple model, that the wages or prices change in one region, and we will measure the equilibrium of the markets of the two regions. After some time, by migration of workers and trading commodities, a new equilibrium will be achieved. If one of the governments of the two regions intends to revert the equilibrium to the state before changes were applied, how should that government act and how great will its financial burden be? In this paper, we try to formulate the answer to this question in the context of two simple, homogenous, and similar-shape economies. This paper is centered on the behavior of individuals of the two regions, which we try to generalize it so that we could evaluate the problem at meso level analytically. Therefore, we simplify the problem to the extent that its micro and macro dimensions coincide. We check different cases of Changing wage elasticity of price or production elasticity of employment and examine the financial burden of a policy of no labor and commodity movement. In this way, if the government of region 1 decides to counteract and revert the conditions into the previous state, it can pay specific subsidies to workers, legislate due taxes on selling commodities, and thereby establish the conditions of the equation as prior to changes.

scholarly journals Incorporating community development into social work practice within the neoliberal environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Aimers ◽  
Peter Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Core Subject ◽  
Work Education

Community development is a core subject in social work education, yet social work discourse often places community development at its margins (Mendes, 2009). This article considers the location of community development and community work within the current neoliberal environment in New Zealand and how such practice can be sustained by social workers in the community and voluntary sector. Community development is a way of working with communities that has a ‘bottom up’ approach as an alternative to State (top down) development. Over recent years, however, successive New Zealand governments have embraced neoliberal social policies that have marginalised community development. In addition the term ‘community work’ has been used to describe activities that have little to do with a bottom up approach thereby making it difficult to define both community development and community work. By applying a ‘knowledge intersections’ schema to two New Zealand community and voluntary organi- sations we identify where community development and social work intersect. From this basis we challenge social workers to consider ways in which community development can be embedded within their practice. 

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