Community development in contemporary ethnic-pluriform neighbourhoods: a critical look at social mixing

Abstract

Many disadvantaged neighbourhoods increasingly face pressures from globalization, modernization and individualization, which have arguably helped to accelerate a decline in local-level social cohesion and social maintenance mechanisms. Many governmental officials, politicians and community development workers consider community development a tool for improving mutual solidarity and social maintenance, leading to improved social cohesion, liveability and safety in these neighbourhoods. Today, 'mixing' strategies are popular tools for linking residents with a different ethnic and/or class background. The assumption is that once people are enabled to mingle, bridging social capital will develop easily. However, in practice, contact between heterogeneous groups and individual residents does not develop spontaneously. Once positive encounters take place, this may lead to the development of mutual trust, which is crucial for the development of successful citizens' initiatives in the Netherlands and elsewhere, a process worthy of more attention from professionals and researchers. © Oxford University Press and Community Development Journal. 2011. All rights reserved.