Community development as counter-hegemony

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship between the decline in status of community development, entrenching neoliberal hegemony, and the rise in populism. It does so using a post-structuralist discourse analysis methodology to analyse 74 texts which span national policy debate and the policy and practice within a case-study local authority. The empirical evidence shows that during the administration of the coalition government (2010–15), neoliberal and left-wing populist discourses competed to shape community development debate and practice in England. The chapter calls for community development to unite with left-wing populist strategies to generate and practise counter-hegemonic discourses. However, it also cautions that such discourses can reproduce unhelpful binaries which the community development field must attempt to reconcile.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPopulism, Democracy and Community Development
EditorsSue Kenny, Jim Ife, Peter Westoby
Place of PublicationBristol
PublisherPolicy Press
Chapter13
Pages227-244
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)978447353867, 9781447353874
ISBN (Print)9781447353836, 9781447353843
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Dec 2020

Publication series

NameRethinking Community Development
PublisherPolicy Press

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • community development
  • neoliberal hegemony
  • populism
  • national policy debate
  • coalition government
  • neoliberal populist discourse
  • left-wing populism
  • England
  • counter-hegemonic discourses

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