The double bind of social innovation: Relational dynamics of change and resistance in neighbourhood governance

Bartels, Koen P.R.

doi:10.1177/0042098016682935

Cited by 45 publications

(60 citation statements)

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“…Parallel to these processes of decentralization runs a discourse that reframes citizenship (Garcia, 2006) and welfare (Bartels, 2017a) as local practices rather than pertaining to the national welfare state. Individuals and communities are now expected to take more responsibility for their own lives and living environment.…”

Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Individuals and communities are now expected to take more responsibility for their own lives and living environment. Taken together, urban governance has been undergoing a widespread reconfiguration of the relationships and interactions between local bodies, citizens, and regional and national governments towards long term collaboration, inclusive participation, and sustainable change (Moulaert et al, 2010;Kokx, 2011;De Wilde et al, 2014;Bartels, 2017a).…”

Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Under the auspices of current austerity-driven neo-liberal discourse, local bodies have received further responsibilities for collaboratively delivering social welfare and health care, while community self-organisation is promoted over government-driven participation. Neighborhood working is one of the primary approaches to facilitating this transition toward adapting organizational goals, structures, and procedures to the needs, strengths and dynamics of specific areas and individuals (see Bartels, 2016Bartels, , 2017a).…”

Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past fifty years, neighborhoods have become envisaged as crucial sites for addressing socio-economic inequalities and promoting democratic participation and social innovation. Making space for such processes requires fundamental changes in the relationships and interactions between local authorities, citizens, and other actors (Kokx, 2011;De Wilde et al, 2014;Bartels, 2017a). While this is a welcome development and looks good on a policy level, the "promise of the neighborhoods as a foundation for democratic practice … depends on the available opportunities to develop and exercise skills at that level" (Horak & Blokland, 2012, 255).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As I have previously outlined the BPT approach and how it differs from habitual practices of interactive governance (Bartels, 2016) as well as critically analyzed the constant resistances and challenges BPTs face to innovating (Bartels, 2017a) reflect on the implications and limitations of my argument for urban governance and public administration more widely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Encounters with an Open Mind: A Relational Grounding for Neighborhood Governance

Bartels¹

2018

Critical Perspectives on International Public Sector Management

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Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

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Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Neighborhood Working In Europe and The Netherlandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Encounters with an Open Mind: A Relational Grounding for Neighborhood Governance

Bartels¹

2018

Critical Perspectives on International Public Sector Management

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Water governance on the streets of Scotland: How frontline public workers encounter and respond to tensions in delivering water services with communities

2022

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We explore the activities of frontline workers situated in public bodies responsible for water service provision. We use Scotland as a case study. Here, like in other parts of Europe, there are greater expectations and responsibilities placed on communities to tackle water concerns. In this context, frontline workers are required to collaborate closely with communities to encourage their involvement in public services whilst being more attentive to their needs and concerns. Doing so brings the relationship between frontline workers and communities into focus. In water services, a research gap exists as to how frontline workers interact with communities and influence engagement. Although frontline workers in water services have a highly influential role, evidence of how they perform their daily duties remains limited. This gap hinders understanding the challenges that frontline workers experience and how they can be overcome. Responding to this gap, we look to administration and policy studies, where a tradition of studying frontline workers exists in diverse public policy areas. Using the concepts of biasing, aligning and negotiating, we explore the activities of frontline workers. Using interview and observational data, we demonstrate how they (i) bias services to limit and control engagement, (ii) align resources and people to enhance opportunities for engagement and (iii) negotiate with colleagues and communities to deliver goals. We unpack the role of frontline workers and explore their pertinent position in water governance as they work inside and outside their organisations. We finish with conclusions and future avenues for research.

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Fitting In: The Double-Sided Work of Intermediating Social Innovation in Local Governance

Bartels

2020

The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant

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Front-line workers have received much praise over the past decades for their unique position and skills for making a difference in complex, changing and power-ridden local governance systems. The recent upsurge of social innovation forces us to critically rethink their doublesided work of intermediating between informal, creative and subversive practices and the existing institutional order. Social innovations seek to address unmet local needs in ways that local governance organisations do not have the capacities or resources for and, more fundamentally, strive to transform hegemonic relationships and values. Intermediaries are tasked with 'fitting in': supporting social innovations to sustain themselves in local governance as well as adapting the existing institutional order to innovative forms of thinking, acting and organising. Illustrated by empirical findings from research in Liverpool, the chapter demonstrates how intermediaries tread a fine line between cooptation and transformation. The chapter argues that a relational approach helps to reimagine how practices of intermediating can enable social innovation to transform local governance.

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The double bind of social innovation: Relational dynamics of change and resistance in neighbourhood governance

Cited by 45 publications

References 46 publications

Encounters with an Open Mind: A Relational Grounding for Neighborhood Governance

Encounters with an Open Mind: A Relational Grounding for Neighborhood Governance

Water governance on the streets of Scotland: How frontline public workers encounter and respond to tensions in delivering water services with communities

Fitting In: The Double-Sided Work of Intermediating Social Innovation in Local Governance

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