Handbook

Ensuring genuine inclusion of diverse and disadvantaged sections of communities in decision-making and governance continues to be a key community engagement challenge. This subject focusses on inclusive community engagement approaches that aim to meet this challenge. Moreover, inadequate progress on social and ecological imperatives and declining trust in social institutions has led to a proliferation of regulatory and legislative obligations around community engagement and to a 'participatory turn' in theory and practice. Alongside a critical overview of core perspectives in the contested field of community engagement, this subject gives particular attention to participatory approaches in the 21st century. The subject is designed with adaptable delivery models, which may include combinations of condensed online sessions and one-off workshops.