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Community Development Journal Advance Access published online on July 12, 2005
Community Development Journal, doi:10.1093/cdj/bsi062
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© Oxford University Press and Community Development Journal. 2005 All rights reserved

Article

Beyond political zoology: community development, civil society, and strong democracy

Fred Powell 1 and Martin Geoghegan 2*

1 Social Policy, National University of Ireland, Cork
2 Department of Applied Social Studies, National University of Ireland, Cork

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Martin Geoghegan, E-mail: f.powell{at}ucc.ie and/or m.geoghegan@ucc.ie


  Abstract

This article is concerned with the future role of community development. It examines the relationship between community development, civil society, and strong democracy. In a globalized world, we argue that community development can be seen as an alternative to the dominance of neoliberal market-led development - an alternative based on principles of participative democracy, civic republicanism, and sustainable development. In this emerging scenario, we argue that community development is faced with a central choice. It can become part of ‘Third Way’ politics through involvement in social partnership. Alternatively, it can become a social left, developing a distinctive political space where counter-publics can flourish.

Liberal democratic imagery seems to have been fashioned in a menagerie. It teems with beasts and critters of every description: sovereign lions, princely lions and foxes, bleating sheep and poor reptiles, ruthless pigs and ruling whales, sly polecats, clever coyotes, ornery wolves (often in sheep's clothing), and, finally, in Alexander Hamilton's formidable image, all mankind itself but one great Beast. From the perspective of this political zoology, civil society is an alternative to the ‘jungle’ - to the war of all against all that defines the state of nature. (Barber, 1984, p. 20)

Politics takes place in the same old cages, but the lion is free. People pretend to be in the zoo - without the lion. They treat lions running at large like zoo lions, and they consider it narcissistic touchiness if the latter do not dutifully look for peaceful cages to lock themselves up in. (Beck, 1997, p. 133)


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