The Re-invention of Sociology of Community

In today’s society the term ‘Community’ is frequently used. Politicians, religious leaders, policy makers and the media are repeatedly utilizing the concept to describe a particular scenario. Traditionally, sociologists have been fascinated with community, within a theoretical and geographical context. At the centre of the community is the debate of how external agencies work with the local community and how social policy can work at a local level. The aim of this paper is to critically explore the debate around community and how the subject has re-established itself within the discipline of sociology. To justify the arguments surrounding the Sociology of Community the author uses a case study of The United Kingdom

The Politics of Supervising Postgraduate Students: A Viewpoint

Postgraduate research training and research supervision has come under close scrutiny at many UK university institutions. Students today who decided to take up postgraduate studies go through a demanding process. Moreover, postgraduate study has become more complex for universities to deliver because the postgraduate student sector has become more diverse in terms of internationalisation, part time studies and curriculum outline in courses. This paper seeks to critically explore the complex relationships between postgraduate students and their supervisor. It is suggested that both the student and supervisor are on a learning curve that tests each other’s ability in the higher education sector

Community Development: A Shift in Thinking Towards Heutagogy

As a result of the distinct socio-economic changes that UK society has faced in over recent years more specific community health development approaches to curricula delivery are required to ensure the provision of effective methods and approaches to health improvement. An effective way in which to promote successful curricula is to adopt and engage with Barnet’s (1994; 2004; 2012) notion of a tri partite model, incorporating, societal, institutional and students needs. In order to achieve this, a holistic approach to curricula delivery must be adopted. However due to the fragmented nature of the delivery ‘community development’ curricula; good, effective, and pedagogical based delivery approaches and methods are not widely shared. The authors in this paper/presentation will explore the pedagogical basis of the CD curriculum and present a model of joined up thinking, incorporating a cross disciplinary approach to curriculum development and explore strategic approaches to teaching concepts in community development. In this paper the authors argue that a self-determined learning approach that involves an expansion and re-interpretation of andragological principles. A shift in thinking towards heautagogy will enable the learner to develop space, promoting the learner as an “architect” of learning

Remoulding Welfare Britain: The Philosophy of the Big Society in Cameron’s Britain

Since the election of David Cameron as Conservative Party Leader there has been renewed interest in the functions and philosophies underpinning the responsibilities of the state. In 2008 David Cameron advanced the argument that Britain was ‘broken’. During the subsequent 2010 election campaign he put forward a remedy seeking to ‘fix’ Britain. David Cameron’s perception is that some social dynamics of our society are living without a comparable sense of social responsibility, seemingly devoid of any form of self control. Cameron’s narrative was in part enhanced by the several days of rioting in 2011. The subsequent rhetoric of the senior Coalition partner was given rocket boosters in selling this argument to the electorate, and that only the solutions offered by the Big Society could tackle this divide in Britain’s society

Reconstructing Social Policy and Ageing

This article draws from the work of Michel Foucault to reconstruct an understanding of social policy and ageing in contemporary Britain. In many ways, policy provides three trajectories for older people; first, as independent self-managing consumers with private means and resources; second, as people in need of some support to enable them to continue to self-manage and third, as dependent and unable to commit to self-management. Governmentality provides the theoretical framework through which to view policy and practice that is largely governed by discourses of personalisation

Positioning Society and Community in an Ever Changing World

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in International Journal of Social Sciences and Education. To access the final edited and published work see http://www.ijsse.com/Society is frequently located within a media setting. Embedded with society is the concept of community. Many sociologist scholars, past and present, been fascinated with the concept of ‘society’ and ‘community’ because they generate a fascinating discussion on the political contribution of both terms. More than ever before political, community and religious leaders discuss the interrelationships of society and community and how people can better themselves. The aim of this paper is to critically explore the concepts of society and community. The author argues that there needs to be a re-justification of both concepts. The motivation of re-justification of society and community has been socially reconstructed by the impact of globalization

Positioning Society and Community in an Ever Changing World

Society is frequently located within a media setting. Embedded with society is the concept of community. Many sociologist scholars, past and present, been fascinated with the concept of ‘society’ and ‘community’ because they generate a fascinating discussion on the political contribution of both terms. More than ever before political, community and religious leaders discuss the interrelationships of society and community and how people can better themselves. The aim of this paper is to critically explore the concepts of society and community. The author argues that there needs to be a re-justification of both concepts. The motivation of re-justification of society and community has been socially reconstructed by the impact of globalization

Community Development: A shift in thinking towards heautagogy

This presentation present the argument that a self-determined learning approach that involves an expansion and re-interpretation of androgogical principles - A shift in thinking towards heautagogy will enable the learner to develop space, promoting the learner as an “architect” of learning. Key concepts explored within the paper will include the concept of habitus, where the student is seen as an arranger and exploiter of space, the association with the notion of student as an architect of learning will be illustrated, where learning is arranged around activities rather than content, thus allowing the content to be context specific. The inter dependence of habitus, architect and heautagogical learning will be illustrated, where students will create their own pattern of ideas and experiences relevant to their own mind and being...promoting the “knowing,” “being” and “acting” of an engaging curriculum