Starting last tuesday the main tasks of my first week was to get confortable with the office environment and 2 key aspects of my subject area; Economic Evaluation and Community Empowerment.
Community Empowerment was one of those terms that had be carelessly thrown about and scattered throughout previous government policy documents and spatial strategies I had analysed during the time of my MSc. It had always been apparent to me that this term describes a desirable outcome - a state that many want to achieve through various initiatives and one that cannot be imposed or created by others outside the community in question.
However is it an outcome or a process? From my readings it became more apparent that what I once thought was infact only one (very plausible) argument and that numerous different perspectives surrounding this question exist. As South and Woodall (2010) explain, "Empowerment is about individuals and communities increasing control over their lives and their health". Yet how can this be done? Clearly instrinstic to the concept is an understanding that one can only be empowered through their own efforts and this is not a 'state' that can be imposed on them. Indeed in their joint report, COSLA and the Scottish Government (2009) highlight that whilst the government cannot compel or require anyone to become empowered they can "remove barriers, promote better opportunities and support those already involved".
Infact, the main emphasis of the argument/explanation provided by the Scottish Government was the importance of Community Empowerment as a means to invigorate democracy and its growth. The underlying statement throughout was the importance of empowerment as a way to bring communities together and allow them to have more of an influence over matters which relate directly to them. They argued that it was a process- people became empowered and the outcome was a positive change in actions and attitudes of the community as a whole. Yet how do you measure empowerment? This was the big stumbling block throughout the texts I encountered and the currently mystifying entity I have yet to solve. I understand that in order to think 'like an economist' I need to quantify my arguments. Therefore is it perhaps easier for me to maintain my original perspective of community empowerment as an end product? I believe that yes it would be easier, yet I am drawn to the arguments of the likes of Adamson and Bromiley (2008) who employ "the term 'community empowerment' to describe a process of decision-making and influence at a community or neighbourhood level by residents of that community".
I am starting to believe that there may be many 'states' or 'stages' of community empowerment and that a process is perhaps a more plausible outlook and perspective of this term. Relating it to my own experiences, when I have lived within a community where I feel my decisions and involvement have a direct impact on the matter in hand I have felt a rush, a feeling of empowerment (or was that just the feeling of self-worth) that has positively influenced my feeling of belonging within that community.
Clearly this is a question that I will have to address over time...along with Laverack's (2006) 'nine domains of empowerment'!
Community Empowerment was one of those terms that had be carelessly thrown about and scattered throughout previous government policy documents and spatial strategies I had analysed during the time of my MSc. It had always been apparent to me that this term describes a desirable outcome - a state that many want to achieve through various initiatives and one that cannot be imposed or created by others outside the community in question.
However is it an outcome or a process? From my readings it became more apparent that what I once thought was infact only one (very plausible) argument and that numerous different perspectives surrounding this question exist. As South and Woodall (2010) explain, "Empowerment is about individuals and communities increasing control over their lives and their health". Yet how can this be done? Clearly instrinstic to the concept is an understanding that one can only be empowered through their own efforts and this is not a 'state' that can be imposed on them. Indeed in their joint report, COSLA and the Scottish Government (2009) highlight that whilst the government cannot compel or require anyone to become empowered they can "remove barriers, promote better opportunities and support those already involved".
Infact, the main emphasis of the argument/explanation provided by the Scottish Government was the importance of Community Empowerment as a means to invigorate democracy and its growth. The underlying statement throughout was the importance of empowerment as a way to bring communities together and allow them to have more of an influence over matters which relate directly to them. They argued that it was a process- people became empowered and the outcome was a positive change in actions and attitudes of the community as a whole. Yet how do you measure empowerment? This was the big stumbling block throughout the texts I encountered and the currently mystifying entity I have yet to solve. I understand that in order to think 'like an economist' I need to quantify my arguments. Therefore is it perhaps easier for me to maintain my original perspective of community empowerment as an end product? I believe that yes it would be easier, yet I am drawn to the arguments of the likes of Adamson and Bromiley (2008) who employ "the term 'community empowerment' to describe a process of decision-making and influence at a community or neighbourhood level by residents of that community".
I am starting to believe that there may be many 'states' or 'stages' of community empowerment and that a process is perhaps a more plausible outlook and perspective of this term. Relating it to my own experiences, when I have lived within a community where I feel my decisions and involvement have a direct impact on the matter in hand I have felt a rush, a feeling of empowerment (or was that just the feeling of self-worth) that has positively influenced my feeling of belonging within that community.
Clearly this is a question that I will have to address over time...along with Laverack's (2006) 'nine domains of empowerment'!
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