果冻影院

Content:

The module focuses on the importance of advancing social development through bottom-up and grassroots practices. Through a social and urban focus, we explore the ways within which contestations over city-making are shaping processes of social development. Furthermore, we engage with different ways through which grassroots and everyday practices have been advancing and promoting social development. The module is thus concerned with two major issues. The first one concerns how residents can become actively engaged in policy and planning processes, both at the programme and project level and beyond, which ensure more equitable and transformative development outcomes. These processes must be able to engage with the everyday realities of people in all their diversity and, at the same time, be sensitive to the range of different socio-cultural, economic and political contexts which affect people鈥檚 rights and freedoms. This approach requires a focus on individuals and communities, and work towards building the capacity of people to engage as agents of social change with a range of other institutional actors. It also means exploring the various organisational and institutional processes which can create both opportunities and constraints to the type of development outcomes that people value. For example, how do power, politics, stakeholder interests and capacities shape what can be done, and how? What kind of knowledge is needed to bring about meaningful social change in cities? How do we produce knowledge in a way that is sensitive, participatory and emancipatory? How do we co-produce knowledge with participants and partners?

The second major issue concerns the roles of the social development practitioner as a researcher, social planner, and as a catalyst of social change. A practitioner who is involved in social change is undertaking a political endeavour. Where does the practitioner 鈥榝it鈥� within these complex processes and environments of planned change? Whose agenda takes precedence? How can we juggle the multiple roles of a social researcher, planner and advocate for more equitable and negotiated development processes and outcomes? What are the capacities, sensibilities and skills needed? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions; nor are there 鈥渇ail-safe鈥� methodologies that can serve as examples of 鈥済ood鈥� practice in all circumstances. The sessions are therefore designed to equip students with the required knowledge, tools and skills to become critical, thoughtful and politically engaged practitioners in a collaborative engagement and provide a space to not only be a reflective practitioner but a reflexive practitioner.

Terms 2 and 3 of the module will go on to explore the various roles of the social development practitioner, particularly as a researcher and planner. It will consider the different levels at which they work, examine a number of methodological approaches intended to deal with social complexity in order to develop an understanding of how some fundamental concepts related to transformative change are operationalised.

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Teaching delivery:

This module is taught in 18 lectures (9 weekly lectures in Term one and Term two) and also involves an immersive field-based research project in Term 3.

Indicative Topics:

Indicative topics based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes:

Reflecting on Social Development in Cities; Empowerment as a Lens of Analysis and Reflection Community-led Knowledge Production and Participation in Planning Processes; Ethics of Research and Practice, 鈥楲earning through Methods and Partnerships鈥�; Research Design, Research Ethics, Knowledge Co-production and Research Planning; Participatory Research Methods and Tools.

Module Objectives:

After taking this module you should acquire:

• knowledge and understanding of the challenges and dilemmas of social development practice
• the capacity to undertake social analysis at various stages of the planning cycle in a reflective, creative and socially sensitive manner
• developed knowledge and understanding of the interests of, and relations between, actors in civil society and the public and private sectors, which affect social development processes and outcomes
• knowledge and understanding of teamwork, facilitation, negotiation and advocacy skills in pursuit of equitable, people-centred development

• the capacity to undertake collaborative social analysis in the field, and to present, both orally and in writing, an analysis of the findings and well supported, socially-sensitive recommendations to academic and practice-based audiences听 听
• a range of practical transferable skills and tools related to research and writing at postgraduate level.

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Recommended readings:

Fraser, N. (2009) 鈥楽ocial Justice in the Age of Identity Politics: Redistribution, Recognition, Participation鈥�, in Henderson, G. and Waterstone M., (eds) Geographic Thought: A Praxis Perspective, Routledge: New York, pp. 72-90.

Holston, J. (1999) 鈥業ntroduction: Cities and Citizenship鈥�, in Holston, J. (ed.) Cities and Citizenship. Chapter 1: Introduction, pp. 1-20, Durham: Duke University Press.

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Miraftab, F. (2018) 鈥業nsurgent practices and decolonization of future(s)鈥�, in Gunder, M., Madanipous, A. and Watson, V. (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Planning Theory. London: Routledge, pp. 276鈥�288.

Parker, B. (2016) 鈥楩eminist Forays in the City: Imbalance and Intervention in Urban Research Methods鈥�, Antipode, 48(5):1337鈥�1358.

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Module leaders:

Jordana Ramalho and Afia Afenah

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