Elizabeth Dinnie

TL;DR: In this article, the authors used mobile and participatory visual methods with greenspace users in order to investigate their everyday experiences and engagements with local greenspaces, and to understand how meanings associated with use translate (or not) into well-being benefits.

TL;DR: The authors argue that communities articulate an "alternative imaginary" of change that appears imprinted by core neoliberal rationalities around questions of individual responsibility, the role of the State, and civic participation and equity.

Abstract: The concept of resilience is now routinely put forward by both policymakers and social activists as a way for communities to use and develop their resources and respond positively to change, including decarbonization to address climate change. The extent to which a community is able to utilize all its resources depends on the extent to which it feels empowered to take action and is a major determinant of its resilience. A narrative of community empowerment has recently emerged from Scottish Government, driven in part by the situation in Scotland, in which a skewed pattern of landownership and distant structure of ‘local’ democracy combine to disempower communities by disconnecting them from local resources and local representative democracy. Recent Scottish legislation appears to provide new opportunities for community groups to gain control of local assets, become more financially sustainable, undertake climate-related mitigation actions and overcome some of the current local democratic deficit. At the same time, an increasingly well-organized and networked community sector and some within the Scottish Government are actively exploring new ways to enable public participation and deliver public services. This paper analyses the current Scottish policy framework and aspirations for community empowerment and, through interviews with stakeholders, assesses the potential, this may provide for communities to become truly resilient and to actively engage with transformational change.

TL;DR: In this paper, the challenges and opportunities of public funding for community-based initiatives (CBIs) have been investigated, and the authors argue that although public funding is crucial for CBIs, it is accompanied by a range of managerial and technical procedures that enrol CBIs in state accountability mechanisms, which may have the effect of favoring a certain type of CBIs or excluding those that cannot or will not accept public funding.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated discourses on changes in land management objectives and governance and found that many game managers perceived changes in public policy objectives, coupled with social changes, as an attack on their traditions and heritage and a threat to cultural and economic interests tied to long-standing practices based on knowledge and ties to the land.