Power, control, communities and health inequalities III: Participatory spaces – an English case
2020
This paper – third in a series of three – uses theoretical frameworks described in Part 1, and empirical markers
reported in Part 2, to present evidence on how power dynamics shifted during the early years of a major English
community empowerment initiative. We demonstrate how the capabilities disadvantaged communities require
to exercise collective control over decisions/actions impacting on their lives and health (conceptualised as
emancipatory power) and the exercise of power over these communities (conceptualised as limiting power)
were shaped by the characteristics of participatory spaces created by and/or associated with this initiative. Two
main types of participatory spaces were identified: governance and sense-making. Though all forms of
emancipatory power emerged in all spaces, some were more evident in particular spaces. In governance spaces,
the development and enactment of ‘power to’ emerged as residents made formal decisions on action, allocated
resources and managed accountability. Capabilities for alliance building – power with – were more likely to
emerge in these spaces, as was residents’ resistance to the exercise of instiutional power over them. In contrast,
in sense-making spaces residents met informally and “made sense” of local issues and their ability to influence
these. These processes led to the development of power within capabilities and power to resist stigmatising
forms of productive power. The findings highlight the importance of designing community initiatives that:
nurture diverse participatory spaces; attend to connectivity between spaces; and identify and act on existing
power dynamics undermining capabilities for collective control in disadvantaged communities.
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