DIY Community Action

The changing nature of communities continues to be a subject of policy and academic debate and the contribution of active citizens to improving societal well-being is high across different policy agendas. But the promotion of community self-help in this context raises a wide range of questions - for people working in neighbourhoods, for policy makers, for politicians, and for residents themselves. Why does community matter to people? Is it patronising residents to talk of community self-help? What legitimacy do community representatives have? What stimulates people to get involved? Does it matter that only a minority are involved? What is the relevance of community given a fast changing society? How can participatory democracy and representative democracy work together?"DIY Community Action" offers thought-provoking answers to these questions, based on detailed real-life evidence from over 100 community groups, each trying to combat neighbourhood problems. It presents a lively challenge to the existing thinking on contested debates, and proposes ways forward for community building. This timely publication is an engaging resource for policy makers, practitioners, academics, students and general readers interested in exploring community engagement and active citizenship. Its insightful analysis will be of interest to students of social policy, sociology, community work, housing and regeneration, local government studies and public policy.