Understanding the Big Society
Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:35:00 GMT
Yorkshire Post, Dec 2 - Cameron presses business to save Big Society!
"...The Big Society initiative has been dogged by the problem of many people not understanding what the concept means...last month even Children's Minister Tim Loughton admitted this problem applied to coalition ministers..."
The Big Society has emerged of one of the key themes of the Coalition government. During the Coalition government launch of the Big Society in July 2010, David Cameron suggested it ‘is not about creating cover for cuts...we need the Big Society spirit to get our economy going’.
However critics have drawn attention to the difficulties that the general public and members of the Coalition government themselves have in understanding what the Big Society is. Some argue plans for the Big Society are too abstract and vague, and that many people either too busy to find time to volunteer or already active in their communities.
Dr Andy Mycock, a senior lecturer in Politics, recently gave a special lecture entitled Understanding the Big Society to a large audience including representatives from local government, voluntary and charitable organisations, civil servants and staff and students from the University. Dr Mycock specialises in the study of citizenship and society and his lecture focused on the political drivers for the Big Society and the opportunities and challenges for local government, the third sector and the University. The lecture provided an opportunity for local and regional actors to discuss how we understand the Big Society.
Dr Mycock worked with the previous Labour government on developing youth citizenship strategies and believes the Big Society should not be seen as party political.
He commented: “The Big Society cannot be simply discarded as a smokescreen for spending cuts as many governments in Western Europe and elsewhere are having to re-evaluate of the role of state in the provision of welfare and other public services.”
He believes that all political parties in the UK will have to address significant questions posed by the Big Society about the relationship of the state and its citizens. However, Dr Mycock noted: “It is as yet unclear how much responsibility for the provision of public services will remain with local government and how much citizens will have to run their own communities.”
Dr Mycock believes that the Conservatives thinking on the Big Society has been partial and bespoke – work in progress without targeting clear goals – “the aspirations of the Big Society are ambiguous at best and it is in danger of becoming a forgotten political idea that means everything and nothing”.
“The Coalition needs to provide a clear vision of how local and national democratically-elected government meshes with newly-empowered communities.” In his lecture, he argued that, as yet, the Big Society has done little to mend the ‘broken politics’ identified by Cameron and Clegg.
However, Dr Mycock believes that the University of Huddersfield is uniquely placed in the region to develop the Big Society. He noted: “The University provides a range of cutting-edge courses for students who wish to undertake work placements and volunteering. Moreover, it is a key institution within the civil society and local economy.”
But, he argues, the Big Society will provide new opportunities as students and staff continue to contribute to the social, economic and political development of local communities.
This event was first of a series that will bring together people from across Kirklees to discuss the implications of the recent comprehensive spending review and its impact of citizens, communities and society as a whole. For more details, contact Dr Mycock at a.j.mycock@hud.ac.uk.
