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ISIRC ID: I143. Neoliberalism as trauma: a case study of intergenerational disadvantage in an Australian community
Citation
Frey, R and Winter, R and Julian, R, ISIRC ID: I143. Neoliberalism as trauma: a case study of intergenerational disadvantage in an Australian community, 11th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC): Social Innovation: Local Solutions to Global Challenges, 2 - 4 September 2019, Glasgow, pp. 96-96. (2019) [Conference Extract]
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Abstract
Vinson (2015) characterises some communities as ‘chaos attractors’ where the intricacy and
complexity of disadvantage constitutes a wicked problem. In this paper, we draw on complexity
theory to provide a critical analysis of a series of interventions in an Australian community
characterised by entrenched disadvantage. We argue that focus on risk factors in an attempt to
reduce complexity to its component parts fails to account for cumulative impact and non-linear
relationships that characterise organic and dynamic systems such as communities.
We propose that the constitutive and interconnected systems in a community can be likened to
a brain. Those communities where there are defaults of executive and frontal lobe neurological
functions (usually due to an excessive load of traumatic events) will have impaired capacity to
respond to programs according to the rational actions and logics imposed by funding bodies.
The gaps in the neural networks of different communities will be unique and thus require
different approaches. The collective impact approach (Kania & Kramer 2011) will be examined
as a way to mimic a neural net for the community, where the backbone organisation operates
as executive function, building a specialised team to support community members. The brain
analogy helps us explore why current interventions under neoliberalism often fail and suggests
alternatives to address disadvantage in the example community.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Conference Extract |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Inequality, neoliberalism, resilience |
| Research Division: | Human Society |
| Research Group: | Development studies |
| Research Field: | Political economy and social change |
| Objective Division: | Economic Framework |
| Objective Group: | Macroeconomics |
| Objective Field: | Macroeconomics not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Frey, R (Dr Ronald Frey) |
| UTAS Author: | Winter, R (Dr Romy Winter) |
| UTAS Author: | Julian, R (Professor Roberta Julian) |
| ID Code: | 145469 |
| Year Published: | 2019 |
| Deposited By: | Office of the School of Social Sciences |
| Deposited On: | 2021-07-22 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-08-03 |
| Downloads: | 4 View Download Statistics |
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