Public Policy in the Community

MARILYN TAYLOR is Emeritus Professor of Urban Governance and Regeneration at the University of the West of England, UK. She is also a Visiting Professor at Birkbeck, University of London and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Voluntary Action Research.

• IntroductionThe Changing Fortunes of CommunityCommunity in Policy and PracticeIdeas of CommunityContradictions of CommunityPrescribing Community to the PoorPower and EmpowermentPower in the Policy ProcessExperiencing EmpowermentReclaiming CommunityReclaiming PowerThe Challenge for CommunitiesThe Institutional ChallengeCommunity Empowerment: Myth or Reality?

Reviews of the first edition: '[A]n excellent overview of how the concept of community has been interpreted and (ab)used by politicians and policymakers...The book takes familiar concepts and methods, weaving them together to build a new framework [and] throws up a number of challenging questions and some illuminating insights...[it] is unreservedly recommended for policy-makers and anyone working in or with communities. It will also be of immense value to students, researchers and academics seeking a comprehensive synthesis.' - Alison Gilchrist, Community Development Journal '[G]rounded, authoritative and timely...a crucial contribution to an important policy debate.' - John Houghton, Environmental Planning 'There remains little else that competes with this very readable text in its comprehensive coverage, and ability to help the reader through all of the bewildering complexity of this topic.' -Voluntary Sector Review '...a comprehensive look at how ideas of 'community' have been incorporated into government policy over the last half century or so.' - Environment and Planning