Re Imagining Contested Communities

Too often we are told about 'deprived neighbourhoods' but rarely do the people who live in those communities get to shape the agenda and describe, from their perspective, what is important to them. In this book the process of re-imagining comes to the fore in a fresh and contemporary look at one UK town, Rotherham. Using history, artistic practice, writing, poetry, autobiography and collaborative ethnography, it literally and figuratively re-imagines a place. It is a manifesto for alternative visions of community, located in histories and cultural reference points that often remain unheard within the mainstream media.

This look offers a close look at contested communities through the lens of Rotherham, an English town struggling to survive in terms of its image, profile and identity. Recently divided, and left reeling, from the powerful impact of the Jay report on Child Sexual Exploitation, and increasingly used as a center for activism and agitation by the far right, Rotherham could be seen as an exemplar of a contested community. But what happens when a community confronts an identity that has been forced upon it? How does a community re-define itself? More than simply a book about Rotherham, this is a book about history, culture, feelings, methods and ideas that will help to articulate the lived meanings of political cultures in Britain today.

Contested Communities explores the concept of community in postcolonial and diaspora contexts from an interdisciplinary (linguistics, literature, cultural studies) perspective.

This book attempts to explore the effects of neoliberalism on particular forms of community. Guy Standing (2011) has popularised the notion of precariousness to describe the unpredictable neoliberal conditions faced by radically different people throughout the world. Members of Standing’s ‘precariat’ lack occupational identities, treat work and other moneymaking activities instrumentally, are focused on the short-term and have no ‘shadow of the future’ hanging over their actions, leaving little incentive to sustain long-term relationships and productive, but unpaid, social activities. This issue presents an interdisciplinary account of the challenges faced by communities at a time in which neoliberalism seems unchecked and uncheckable by the rise of nationalist populism. At points, responses are presented, but it is perhaps reflective of the general sense of helplessness of those committed to tackling neoliberalism that the final article highlights serious deficits in an approach commonly presented as a practicable response: basic income. In the spirit of participation, each article is accompanied by a reply by a non-academic as well as an academic. This ought not to be seen as tokenism – the experience of the project has been that discussions can be advanced much more effectively through engagement with community members and professionals. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Global Discourse.

"Community" is a much used but little understood term. Through a set of detailed case studies, this book examines the sources of community activism, the ways in which communities define themselves, and the nature of the interface between communities and public agencies via partnerships.

This look offers a close look at contested communities through the lens of Rotherham, an English town struggling to survive in terms of its image, profile and identity. Recently divided, and left reeling, from the powerful impact of the Jay report on Child Sexual Exploitation, and increasingly used as a center for activism and agitation by the far right, Rotherham could be seen as an exemplar of a contested community. But what happens when a community confronts an identity that has been forced upon it? How does a community re-define itself? More than simply a book about Rotherham, this is a book about history, culture, feelings, methods and ideas that will help to articulate the lived meanings of political cultures in Britain today.

Re:Imagining Change provides resources, theory, hands-on tools, and illuminating case studies for the next generation of innovative change-makers. This unique book explores how culture, media, memes, and narrative intertwine with social change strategies, and offers practical methods to amplify progressive causes in the popular culture. Re:Imagining Change is an inspirational inside look at the trailblazing methodology developed by the Center for Story-based Strategy over fifteen years of their movement building partnerships. This practitioner’s guide is an impassioned call to innovate our strategies for confronting the escalating social and ecological crises of the twenty-first century. This new, expanded second edition includes updated examples from the frontlines of social movements and provides the reader with easy-to-use tools to change the stories they care about most.

The Impact of Co-Production brings together scholars, artists, practitioners, and community activists to explore the possibilities for--and tensions of--social justice work through collaboration between communities and the academy. Amid a widespread institutional emphasis on increased involvement and co-production with the community, what can we expect when long-established community-oriented research practices collide with the day-to-day work of activism? How should we think about the key tenets and terms of that research, and the ongoing critique of them mounted by activists, artists, and other community members? Deploying case studies from the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and Canada, and taking in universities, independent research organizations, and museums and galleries, this book breaks new ground in our understanding of the possibilities, and pitfalls, of co-production.