Religion and urban regeneration: a place for faith?

Abstract

This document is the author deposited version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. FURBEY, R. and MACEY, M. (2005). Religion and urban regeneration: a place for faith? Policy and politics, 33 (1), 95-116. Published version Copyright and re-use policy AbstractThe British government has identified 'faith communities' as a neglected resource in urban regeneration. This article first explores the context of official support for faith involvement in urban and neighbourhood policy and identifies the assumptions underlying key policy documents. These assumptions are then critically explored by reference to the links commonly drawn between religion and 'community', 'neighbourhood' and 'social cohesion'. Attempts to enlist faith groups within this essentially consensual agenda often fail to recognise both the potential divisiveness of religion and also the more positive and radical lessons that often stem from the action, experience and critical analysis of religious organisations and their members. FrançaisLe gouvernement britannique a identifié les 'communautés de religion' en tant que ressource négligée dans le cadre de la régénération urbaine. Cet article explore tout d'abord le contexte du soutien officiel de l'implication de la religion dans les politiques urbaines et de voisinage et identifie les suppositions sous-jacentes aux documents de politique clé. Ces suppositions sont ensuite explorées de façon critique en faisant référence aux liens dressés communément entre la religion et la 'communauté', le 'voisinage' et la 'cohésion sociale'. Les tentatives d'implication des groupes de religion dans le cadre de ce programme essentiellement consensuel, omettent souvent de reconnaître le potentiel de dissension de la religion et aussi les leçons plus positives et radicales, qui proviennent souvent de l'action, expérience et analyse critique, des organisations religieuses et de leurs membres.Español El gobierno británico ha identificado 'comunidades de fe' como un recurso de abandono de la regeneración urbana. Este artículo explora primero el contexto de apoyo oficial en la intervención de la fe en la política urbana y de vecindad e identifica las suposiciones que subordinan los documentos políticos claves. Estas suposiciones se exploran de manera crítica refiriéndose a los enlaces en común establecidos entre la religión y 'la comunidad', 'la vecindad' y 'la cohesión social'. Los intentos de alistar los grupos de fe dentro de esta esencial agenda consensuada falla con frecuencia en reconocer la división potencial de la religión así como las lecciones más positivas y radicales que a veces crece de la acción, experiencia y análisis crítico de organizaciones religiosas y sus miembros.

Small acts, Big Society:sewaand Hindu (nationalist) identity in Britain

“…Since the late 1980s, the UK state has recognized the potential of religious groups as institutions capable of delivering necessary services in sometimes troubled inner-city areas where the state itself has progressively retracted (Dinham 2009;). 2 In more recent years, this recognition has developed into a conviction that religious organizations working at grass-roots level have an enhanced capacity, through such work, to generate values and sensibilities associated with developing notions of citizenship and community cohesion (see Furbey and Macey 2005).…”

British Pakistani women's use of the ‘religion versus culture’ contrast: A critical analysis

“…The weight given to the faith aspects of one's identity over the ethnic one has some resonance with New Labour Britain. Britain now has a number of laws and policy guidelines that place faith at the forefront by setting out entitlements to faith groups rather than ethnic ones (see among others, Furbey and Macey 2005;Bolognani 2011). A very clear case of this is the field of urban regeneration, where the 'Inner city religious council' has been established.…”

Community perceptions of moral education as a response to crime by young Pakistani males in Bradford

“…Faith communities are increasingly being considered at a social policy level as one of the agents that can help community cohesion and the development of communities (Furbey & Macey, 2005). The idea behind it would seem to be that 'faith traditions…play a fundamental role in supporting and propagating values which bind us together as a nation' (Tony Blair, quoted in Furbey & Macey, 2005, Moral education as a response to crime 361 p. 97).…”

“…The idea behind it would seem to be that 'faith traditions…play a fundamental role in supporting and propagating values which bind us together as a nation' (Tony Blair, quoted in Furbey & Macey, 2005, Moral education as a response to crime 361 p. 97). However, the role of Islam in this respect is somehow controversial, as argued by Kundnani (2002).…”