Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
devices, and open but well-viewed public or urban green spaces allow for occasional,
chance or intentional encounters (Barton, 2000). Many classic studies have described
community in exactly these ways (see, for example, Young and Willmott, 1957;
Roberts, 1971), and for those whose intention is to build (sustainable) communities,
networking has become a core competence, not least because one of the most
important functions of networks is their capacity to share ideas and values and
develop trusting relationships and methods of co-operation and collaboration. Net-
works also frequently serve to facilitate reflexive and critical social dialogues, the
sharing and accumulation of collective knowledge and understanding, and social and
community learning, creating avenues in which common ideas and purposes can be
recognized and expressed. And because cultural diversity frequently challenges dogma
and prejudice, community cohesion often emerges through complex social articulations
that celebrate ethnic and other difference. For diversity to be celebrated, there need
to be trusted public and/or private spaces (and places) that create convivial, accessible
and accommodative environments. Such spaces can be created or customized by
community members themselves through project activity, community artwork, social
events and gatherings. The annual Notting Hill Carnival is one spectacular example
of a civic and cultural celebration of difference. As Gilchrist suggests, a community's
empowerment is usually achieved through both learning and collective action or
organization:
Challenging powerful institutions and oppressive practices is a crucial aspect of
community development, as is changing the flow of power through organizations
and communities. Collective action is empowering in its own right, because
it enables people without much power to assert their interests and influence in
decision-making. Networks contribute to empowerment on a psychological
level, by enabling people to compare their experiences, learn from each other's
successes, and develop greater awareness of the wider politics of inequality and
oppression.
(Gilchrist, 2004: 44)
Empowerment doesn't simply appear as a result of a single action or event, although
a transformative, life-changing experience is often a significant catalyst. Rather, as
Shuftan (1996) writes, empowerment should be viewed as a continuous process that
continuously enhances people's social understanding of anti-oppressive practice,
developing their capacity to exercise some control over their individual and collective
lives.
Building social networks
Throughout the post-war years, successive UK governments have recognized the need
to reform local governance and encourage social and civic participation, devising
spatial and other policies articulating many principles of sustainable development -
notably, social justice, social inclusion, citizenship, equity, and sustainable environ-
mental and economic practices (Raco, 2007). Local Agenda 21 encouraged participatory
democracy, particularly when local community members deliberated upon, chose and
worked to meet meaningful sustainability indicators. Civic engagement has been
nurtured and social capital generated (Barton, 2000), but this is not the full story.
