Welfare reform on the Web (June 2007): Community regeneration and development - UK

Including young mothers: community-based participation and the continuum of active citizenship

S. Greene

Community Development Journal, vol.42, 2007, p. 167-180

Under New Labour, citizenship responsibilities include not only paid work, but also active participation in community affairs to promote the common good. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 young mothers aged between 16 and 22 in Greater Pilton, Edinburgh, this paper explores the factors that influence how and when these marginalised young women become involved in their communities, as well as the structural barriers they experience to involvement.

Raising expectations or dashing hopes? Well-being and participation in disadvantaged areas

A. Dinham

Community Development Journal, vol. 42, 2007, p. 181-193

It is widely assumed that community participation enhances well-being. This article explores the relationship between participation and well-being in disadvantaged areas. Drawing on research in two New Deal for Communities (NDC) areas in the UK, it shows how local people’s experiences of participation are disappointing, and how that disappointment may pose a threat to well-being.