Delivering on the Big Society? Tensions in hosting community organisers. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fisher, Jenny; Lawthom, Rebecca; Kagan, Carolyn
• Other Names: Bunyan Paul guest-editor.; Diamond John guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Local economy. Volume 31:Number 4(2016:Jun.)
• Page Start: 502
• Page End: 517
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Big Society -- community -- community organiser -- university; Great Britain -- Economic policy -- Periodicals; 330.941
• DOI: 10.1177/0269094216650142
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-0942

Abstract

The Big Society, including the community organising programme, was central to the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron's vision for a redefined relationship between state and society. Promising the devolvement of power to neighbourhoods and citizens – Community organising was funded by the Cabinet Office in 2011. It was conceived of as a means of developing active engagement of communities and individuals to resolve the issues within deprived neighbourhoods. Manchester Metropolitan University hosted one of the first cohorts of community organisers working with a national organisation, Locality. This article provides a case study of a university-community partnership centred on community organising. Drawing on narratives, we consider the tensions inherent in university hosting of community organisers and the framing of the project as community organising as distinct from other forms of community practice.