Comments on: David Cameron’s Balsall Heath sleepover http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2007/05/10/davidcameron/ Social media, active citizens, podcasting, neighbourhoods and more. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:34:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: nick booth http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2007/05/10/davidcameron/#comment-12885 Tue, 15 May 2007 07:48:23 +0000 http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2007/05/10/davidcameron/#comment-12885 Hello Kevin, thanks for the comment. I'm not sure that he is arguing against the person rather than the behaviour. However there is a risk that politicians choose language which implies a greater sense of crisis than many people feel exists in their neighbourhood. This is pandering to misperceptions of our neighbourhoods which are fed by conventional headlnes about crime and anti social behaviour. It comes back to how far do we have to change behaviour and how far do we simply need to change perceptions to encourage people to believe they live in a neighbourhood worth living in. By the way I personally think Balsall Heath is a wonderful place to live. Yes there are some problems with drugs, gangs and crime - but my experience is of a place which is relaxed, where people know their neighbours and where you find a community able to tackle it's own problems. Hello Kevin, thanks for the comment.

I’m not sure that he is arguing against the person rather than the behaviour. However there is a risk that politicians choose language which implies a greater sense of crisis than many people feel exists in their neighbourhood. This is pandering to misperceptions of our neighbourhoods which are fed by conventional headlnes about crime and anti social behaviour.

It comes back to how far do we have to change behaviour and how far do we simply need to change perceptions to encourage people to believe they live in a neighbourhood worth living in.

By the way I personally think Balsall Heath is a wonderful place to live. Yes there are some problems with drugs, gangs and crime – but my experience is of a place which is relaxed, where people know their neighbours and where you find a community able to tackle it’s own problems.

]]> by: Kevin Harris http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2007/05/10/davidcameron/#comment-12847 Mon, 14 May 2007 14:56:18 +0000 http://www.podnosh.com/blog/2007/05/10/davidcameron/#comment-12847 hmmm, it may well be an act to be admired, but can I just raise a question about the language and what it represents? It's the language of belligerous confrontation which tries to establish the conditions of some conflict: it's 'a serious fight' which the right kind of values can 'win'. If I had seen this paragraph without knowing who wrote/said it, I think I would have glanced back at Blunkett's ASB white paper or more recent Blair pronouncements. All of which is a way of asking whether Cameron, building his understanding admirably as you say on time spent in real contexts, is likely to help us move away from this confrontational politics in which disapproval is of the person rather than of the behaviour; and which by putting the emphasis on individuals allows politicians to avoid addressing issues of social exclusion? hmmm, it may well be an act to be admired, but can I just raise a question about the language and what it represents? It’s the language of belligerous confrontation which tries to establish the conditions of some conflict: it’s ‘a serious fight’ which the right kind of values can ‘win’.

If I had seen this paragraph without knowing who wrote/said it, I think I would have glanced back at Blunkett’s ASB white paper or more recent Blair pronouncements. All of which is a way of asking whether Cameron, building his understanding admirably as you say on time spent in real contexts, is likely to help us move away from this confrontational politics in which disapproval is of the person rather than of the behaviour; and which by putting the emphasis on individuals allows politicians to avoid addressing issues of social exclusion?

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