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Pragmatic localism uncovered : the search for locally contingent solutions to national reform agendas
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Coaffee, Jon and Headlam, Nicola (2008) Pragmatic localism uncovered : the search for locally contingent solutions to national reform agendas. Geoforum, Volume 39 (Number 4). pp. 1585-1599. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2007.06.010 ISSN 0016-7185.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2007.06.010
Abstract
This paper analyses the complexity and attempted pragmatism of current practices surrounding the management of current local government
policy reform in England. In particular, it focuses on the tensions and contradictions between a national policy dynamic which
seeks to encourage locally contingent solutions to be developed for localised problems, and the centralising tendencies of the national
state which result in ‘blueprints’ and ‘models’ being developed for local policy delivery and a requirement to meet centrally derived targets.
These assumptions are explored through the experiences of local government attempts to introduce innovative and experimental
praxis in line with the complex cultural and political changes of ‘modernisation’ agendas advanced by the UK government. This is being
rolled out by an overarching project of ‘new localism’ – an attempt to devolve power and resources from the central state to front line
local managers, sub-local structures and partnerships and to deliver ‘what works’. It is argued that new attempts at subsidiarity should be
more flexible to local conditions rather than directed by national policy and that greater discretion and freedom should be given to local
managers to achieve this task. Using the concept of ‘pragmatic localism’ and grounded examples from a recent initiative – Local Area
Agreements – it is highlighted that there are signs that local state management of national policy could be becoming increasingly adaptable,
enabling managers to deal with the fluid nature of ongoing public policy reform, although this is far from a completed project with
many factors still constraining this change process
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies | ||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Geoforum | ||||
| Publisher: | Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. | ||||
| ISSN: | 0016-7185 | ||||
| Official Date: | 2008 | ||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | Volume 39 | ||||
| Number: | Number 4 | ||||
| Page Range: | pp. 1585-1599 | ||||
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.geoforum.2007.06.010 | ||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access |
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