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Community organising in the university setting : Queen Mary and London Citizens

Community organising in the university setting : Queen Mary and London Citizens. James Scott School of Geography Queen Mary, University of London, UK. Plan. Introduce Queen Mary London Citizens Impact on teaching Research development. Queen Mary, University of London.

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Community organising in the university setting : Queen Mary and London Citizens

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  1. Community organising in the university setting: Queen Mary and London Citizens James Scott School of Geography Queen Mary, University of London, UK

  2. Plan • Introduce Queen Mary • London Citizens • Impact on teaching • Research development

  3. Queen Mary, University of London 1887 a ‘palace of delight’ 1888 “to improve the scientific and technical knowledge of apprentices and workmen engaged in industrial life.” 1889: The docks strike 1888: 1400 workers at Bryant and May Match factory

  4. London Citizens • Neil Jameson in the US with IAF in 1980s • 1989: Citizen Organising Foundation (now Citizens UK) • Early alliances in Bristol, West Midlands, North Wales, Sheffield • 1996: TELCO founded in east London • Subsequently in South, West and North London • Together as London Citizens • Also in Birmingham, Nottingham … and with plans

  5. London Citizens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ccuQRCZgI&list=PL5162560DC214078A&index=1&feature=plpp_video

  6. Going back to move on? • Parallels with the early Labour movement – a broad alliance • Organising for the power for change • Connecting economic and political power • Using representational politics • Remaking people and place

  7. East London’s institutional network

  8. The picture in London Unparalleled mobility and diversity: • 35% working age pop born abroad, 300 languages spoken • Turnover of 50% a year in lowest paid jobs • Borough-level turnover – 50% in 5 years • Highest rates of economic inactivity, child poverty, housing crisis and inequality … • Jane Wills (2012) – ‘existing institutions are integrated into a network in order to develop a shared political agenda’

  9. Population mobility by borough, 2001-2006 http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/london/migration-within-london

  10. The School of Geography and London Citizens • Relationship has developed over the past 10 years • Living wage research from 2001 – in tandem with the Living wage campaign in the UK • Joint PhD project 2002 – Lina Jamoul • School of Geography joined TELCO in 2005

  11. QM Geography and London Citizens: Teaching • Training/internships for students • Launched MA Community Organising in 2010 • Annual collaborative student research training • Fostering relationships as part of learning • Developing leadership • Training in citizenship • Research having purpose/impact • … Changing our sense of ourselves?

  12. QM Geography and London Citizens: Research Training Second Year Undergraduates – Research Training Module Practical element collaboratively designed with London Citizens 2011/12 – Research Olympic Recruitment and London Citizen Job fairs Four best results went into LC and IPPR report Questionnaires, Interviews, SPSS analysis, report writing and presentations

  13. QM Geography and London Citizens: Research • Relationship has enabled development of research agenda with genuine impact beyond the campus • Relation politics (community organising) requires self reflection and scrutiny of research interest – ‘why is this important…?’ • Awards – THES Award, Podium Award • Reputation impact – first living wage campus in 2006 • Professor Simon Gaskell, Principal of Queen Mary: “Paying the living wage and bringing the cleaning service in-house has brought dividends to Queen Mary. The college is cleaner, staff feel rewarded and the wider community – both on and off campus – have fully backed the idea.”

  14. QM Geography and London Citizens: Research • The relationship with London Citizens has inspired research into a number of areas: • Migrant Labour • Low waged labour market • Migrant Money • The Living Wage • Political Identity Formation • Participatory Research Methods • Research into Living Wage, Migrant Money and Migrant Labour has in particular been conducted in collaboration with London Citizens throughout: • Initial understanding of the issue • Identifying a need for research • Co-design of research programme • Facilitate access to research participants/subjects

  15. Analysis of the relationship • Institutional and formal…: QMUL School of Geography is a member of the alliance, pays dues and has ‘voting rights’. • …but importantly it is relational: membership is built upon the strength of public relationships between key individuals, within both LC and other member institutions. • Collaborative: research designed to assist and strengthen the political and social objectives of the broader alliance. • Political: The relationship ensures research is relevant to the lives of our community, enabling genuine impact and significance. • Innovative: Problematizes academic understandings of the researcher – subject relationship.

  16. Thank you! Any questions? j.h.scott@qmul.ac.uk

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