RCUK Proposed Research

Programme on ‘Connected

Communities’

Alan Wilson

University College London

Chair, AHRC

CHALLENGES

• define ‘communities’ for this purpose

• define ‘connected’

• ensure that we are adding to past

research, not duplicating it

• this means creating a perspective

which, ultimately allows us to say

something new about the ‘wicked problems’ of the urban research field

• inner city regeneration

• ‘poor’ towns – e.g. seaside towns

• responding to climate change

• unemployment, long-term sickness – benefits issues

• poor quality housing stock; homelessness

• ‘failing’ schools

• variations in levels of health provision: costs in the health

service

• care of the elderly

• crime, prisons

• multiple deprivation

– long-term unemployment, NEETs

– failed in, or failed by, the education system

– health, obesity etc consequences

Wicked problems

An example: outer London area

student flows to university

Legend

20 students

50 students

100 students

200+ students

Inner London area student flows to

university

Legend

20 students

50 students

100 students

200+ students

Inner and outer London areas student flows to university

(Prospering Suburbs)

Legend

20 students

50 students

100 students

200+ students

Inner and outer London areas student flows to university (Blue

Collar Communities)

Legend

20 students

50 students

100 students

200+ students

Interdependence• many of the questions are linked:

– housing problems, which are often seen as

problems of housing supply

• but are actually usually income problems,

• and income problems are often

education/skill problems

– the wicked education/multiple deprivation

problems are in a sense income problems – so

there is a vicious circle here

– the prison problem is a mix of the cycle of

deprivation, unemployment and poor

income and poor mental health and

education facilities in prisons

• by place: innercity, suburban, ex-

urban rural,....

• ethnic, diasporas,....

• income

• occupation

• elderly

• etc

COMMUNITIES

• communities can be connected to

– jobs

– income

– education

– health

– culture

– etc.

– usually in other ‘places’

CONNECTEDNESS

• show how different kinds of communities

have different kinds of ‘connectedness

bundles’

• what are the levels of connectedness and

the rates and kinds of change in these

levels for different kinds of communities?

• what does this mean for the future of

education e.g.?

• does multliple deprivation result from the

lack of connectedness?

CORE TO THE RESEARCH?

• to make this worthwhile, we need to focus on the

big issues – the wicked problems

• shouldn’t be too micro and fragmented

• but have to recognise that this field has been

ploughed many times, seeds have been sown;

but progress has been poor

• does this need some very different kind of

research? Action research? cf. an organisation

like Turning Point?

• research for communities rather than

research on communities

• focus: how to raise levels of connectedness?

RESEARCHABLE PROBLEMS?

RCUK Proposed Research

Programme on ‘Connected

Communities’

Professor Shearer West, Director of Research, AHRC & Chair, Cross-Council Connected Communities Working Group

Vision

To enhance economic

prosperity, health,

sustainability and wellbeing in

increasingly inter-connected,

mobile and diverse

communities by systematically

addressing the opportunities

and challenges they face

through multidisciplinary

research.

What do we mean by ‘Community’?

• For the purposes of this Programme, and subject to

further consultation, we are currently thinking of

‘communities’ as:

“cooperative or interactive groups sharing a virtual or

physical environment and aspects of identity (such

as location, race, ethnicity, age, history, occupation),

culture, belief or other common bonds and/or a

shared interest in particular issues or outcomes”.

• We recognise that such communities are nested and

overlap and are interested both in the

relationships within these communities and the

interactions between communities and their

outcomes for broader society and economy.

Possible Approaches to Exploring Communities

Types of Community

•Lifecycle (e.g. children, adolescence, older people etc)

•Social, cultural economic group, ethic origin, class, religion etc

•Spatial / temporal location, neighbourhood, rural/urban etc

•Method of connection e.g. Virtual Community

Cross-cutting Themes

e.g.

•Addiction

•Crime

•Health & well-being

•Community Values

•Design for communities

Method / Approach to study

e.g.

•Systems, models complexity

•Case studies (initiatives,

neighbourhoods, areas etc)

•Sustainability assessment

•Participatory research

•Synthesis & data integration

Underpinning factors e.g. infrastructure, ecosystems services

Drivers of Change e.g. Environmental, Population,

Technological , Cultural Change, Globalisation, etc

Connected

Communities

Why Connected?In terms of the research it will examine:

• The changing connections - and

disconnections - between individuals &

groups within communities & the (dis-)

connections between different

communities.

• The connections between communities

and their broader environments

• The connections between research

issues often considered in isolation to

deliver more integrated

understanding of the roles of,

and impacts on, communities.

Connecting Issues

Infrastructure

& services

Social Diversity

& Cohesion

Empowerment

& Participation

Vibrant

Culture

Innovation &

economic

development

Local

environment

& sustainability

Health and

well-being

Connected

Communities

Why Connected?

In terms of how the Programme will

achieve its objectives through

connecting:

• existing research & researchers,

knowledge and data from across

disciplines to deliver more

integrated understanding

• UK and international research

• researchers & stakeholders in the

co-production of knowledge

and knowledge exchange

• research with (& for)

communities

Why now?

• The global economic crisis will increase reliance on

strong, culturally vibrant & cohesive communities that

can embrace diversity.

• Communities have a vital role to play in providing the

capacity to enable the UK to accelerate out of the

recession

• Economic downturn may create tensions, stresses,

disaffection , crime and other problems within

communities. We should anticipate, in order to prevent,

these problems.

• Research emerging from areas such as energy,

the environment, security and lifelong health is

highlighting the increasing significance of

understanding communities

Policy Context

• Connected Communities is relevant to at least

half of the 30 PSA targets, including:

- 14. Increase the number of children and young

people on the path to success

- 18. Promote better health and wellbeing for all

- 21. Build more cohesive, empowered & active

communities

- 23. Make communities safer

- 25. Reduce the harm caused by alcohol & drugs

Most of these PSA targets are not covered

by other RCUK Programmes

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• How could quality of life be enhanced through the development of vibrant & diverse cultural environments, & supportive inclusive social, family & community networks?

• How could more attractive, resilient, safe and sustainable community environments in which to live be

created?

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• How could public services &

institutional reform be delivered to

better meet the diverse & evolving needs of individuals & communities?

• How can the challenges to healthy

living, physical & mental well-being,

particularly in social sub-groups with

lower connectivity and/or social

support, be addressed more effectively?

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• How could trust, a sense of belonging, active citizenship, civic values, public participation and democratic processes within modern communities be enhanced best be supported?

• What new approaches could be taken to tackle urban crime and anti-social behaviour, and promote community safety and civic responsibility?

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• What role can communities play in accelerating progress towards more environmentally sustainable and a more resource efficient society

• How might planning, design and infrastructure within complex, interactive, evolving urban systems be improved to better meet changing societal & community needs?

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• What new approaches could be

taken to tackle addiction, including

the increased use of narcotics and

other drugs, taking into account the

inter-play between biological factors,

individual decisions & social &

cultural contexts?

• How can pressures toward social disintegration and the problems it causes be counteracted?

Examples of Potential Research Questions

• How could creativity, innovation &

enterprise, clusters, social &

cultural capital and creative,

cultural & service industries be

fostered more effectively in

communities to underpin

competitiveness and urban &

neighbourhood economic renewal?

Examples of how an RCUK Connected

Communities Programme could Add Value

• Facilitate cross-Council multi- & inter- disciplinary collaborations on key societal issues not addressed under current RCUK Programmes.

• Promote more integrated approaches e.g. by drawing together current research and data;through developing systems, integrated assessment & participatory approaches; and community case studies etc

• Provide a new focus on the community level of analysis & on changing patterns of connectivity.

• Promote co-production of knowledge and partnerships.

• Act as a focus for KT, public engagement & international collaboration.

How we are Developing the Programme

• Cross-Council Working Group with representatives

from AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC, NERC.

• Analysing relevant inputs to individual Councils’

future strategy consultations

• Building on consultation and development activities

undertaken in a number of areas (e.g. Sustainable

Urban Environments, Addiction, Civility, Energy

and Communities).

• Consultation with some key stakeholders (e.g.

Communities & Local Government, Home

Office, Ministry of Justice, Office for the

Third Sector, Equality and Human Rights

Commission).

How we are Developing the Programme

• Consultation event with Local Government held on 1 June 2009 in partnership with LARCI.

• Today’s cross-Council expert consultation workshop.

• Councils to review outcomes of consultations in developing their new Delivery Plans

• Plan to establish an expert working/advisory group.

• Consider potential early activities to stimulate development activities such as ‘highlight notices’ e.g. in research networking schemes.

• Possible further more focused consultation activities to develop new initiative proposals.