The idea that communities need to be inclusive is almost axiomatic. The process,
whereby, community members engage in inclusive practices is far less
understood. Similarly, UK universities are being encouraged to include the wider
community and extent campus boundaries. Here, I suggest a particular theoretical
lens which sheds light on engagement and relationships between community
members and university members. Communities of practice is a theory which
offers much to understanding community psychology (CP) and ways in which
universities can work with and within communities. Indeed, the ideas behind
communities of practice can be extended to CP practice, to explore how
communities learn and empower themselves. Communities of practice are
aggregates of people who share doing, talking, beliefs and values (i.e. practices).
Participants in these so-called communities of practice learn through doing,
becoming and belonging. Through a process of legitimate peripheral
participation, apprentices are exposed to a learning curriculum, where practices
and knowledge are integral to action and the development of practice. These
notions of community of practice can be seen in community settings where CP is
enacted. To illustrate this, I draw upon a case study in which CP undergraduate
students learn how to do CP by undertaking a social change project within a
community. Here, CP students, CP tutors and community members all
participated, simultaneously learning and transforming their communities of
practice. Communities of practice around geographical communities and
university communities of practice are examined through the relationships
between community psychologists (tutors and students) and community
members. The ideas of legitimate membership (i.e. who can belong) and access to
knowledge (and therefore power) can be explored using communities of practice
ideas. If social change and sustainability are ultimate goals for CP, we need
mechanisms which explore how participation, knowledge, identity and power are
enacted in community settings. Communities of practice may be one step towards
inclusive communities.
The idea that communities need to be inclusive is almost axiomatic. The process,whereby, community members engage in inclusive practices is far lessunderstood. Similarly, UK universities are being encouraged to include the widercommunity and extent campus boundaries. Here, I suggest a particular theoreticallens which sheds light on engagement and relationships between communitymembers and university members. Communities of practice is a theory whichoffers much to understanding community psychology (CP) and ways in whichuniversities can work with and within communities. Indeed, the ideas behindcommunities of practice can be extended to CP practice, to explore howcommunities learn and empower themselves. Communities of practice areaggregates of people who share doing, talking, beliefs and values (i.e. practices).Participants in these so-called communities of practice learn through doing,becoming and belonging. Through a process of legitimate peripheralparticipation, apprentices are exposed to a learning curriculum, where practicesand knowledge are integral to action and the development of practice. Thesenotions of community of practice can be seen in community settings where CP isenacted. To illustrate this, I draw upon a case study in which CP undergraduatestudents learn how to do CP by undertaking a social change project within acommunity. Here, CP students, CP tutors and community members allparticipated, simultaneously learning and transforming their communities ofpractice. Communities of practice around geographical communities anduniversity communities of practice are examined through the relationshipsbetween community psychologists (tutors and students) and communitymembers. The ideas of legitimate membership (i.e. who can belong) and access toknowledge (and therefore power) can be explored using communities of practiceideas. If social change and sustainability are ultimate goals for CP, we needmechanisms which explore how participation, knowledge, identity and power areenacted in community settings. Communities of practice may be one step towardsinclusive communities.
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