E-Book Overview
We are constantly being told that communities are under threat, that we are losing a ‘sense of community’. This book finds that the notion of community in Britain is actually threatened by the very thing intended to protect it; relentless government and third party interventions bent on imposing their own forms of social cohesion on the population. There is no doubt that modern societies, underpinned by a ruthlessly competitive and individualistic economic system, have undermined ties of family, solidarity and commonality. However, when an idea of community is articulated it is almost invariably along conservative and reactionary lines - with unelected spokespersons unquestionably accepted as 'community leaders', and with formal contractual relationships taking the place of 'traditional' social order. The short, punchy articles in this book criticise attempts by the state and other agencies to correct the so-called collapse of communities. This book is for students and citizens looking to get beyond the hysterical rhetoric of the government and media to find out about the real communities of the 21st century.
E-Book Content
The Future of Community
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The Future of Community Reports of a Death Greatly Exaggerated Edited by Dave Clements, Alastair Donald, Martin Earnshaw and Austin Williams
PLUTO PRESS
www.plutobooks.com
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First published 2008 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA www.plutobooks.com Copyright © Dave Clements, Alastair Donald, Martin Earnshaw and Austin Williams 2008 The right of the individual contributors to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN ISBN
978 0 7453 2817 1 Hardback 978 0 7453 2816 4 Paperback
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin. The paper may contain up to 70% post consumer waste. 10
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Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services Ltd, Fortescue, Sidmouth, EX10 9QG, England Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in the European Union by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne
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Contents
Acknowledgements Introduction: Who Needs Community Anyway? Austin Williams
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Part I: In Search of Community 1. Faking Civil Society Dave Clements 2. A Green Unpleasant Land Alastair Donald 3. Public Space: Designing-in Community Richard Williams
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Part II: Constructing Communities 4. New New Urbanism Austin Williams 5. Density Versus Sprawl Karl Sharro 6. Salvation by Brick? The Life and Death of British Communities Penny Lewis
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Part III: Communities in Flux 7. Strictly Personal: The Working Class Confined to Community Andrew Calcutt
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The Future of Community
8. Virtual Communities Versus Political Realities Martyn Perks 9. Minorities, Multiculturalism and the Metropolitan Experience Neil Davenport 10. From Little Italy to Big America Elisabetta Gasparoni-Abraham 11. Rio on Galway: Immigration and Ireland