Community, social identity and the structuration of power in the contemporary European city Part Two: Power and identity in the urban community: A comparative analysis

Abstract

East London, the "red belt" of communes north of Paris, and Bologna are the subject of close analysis as localities which have had local governments of the left for many decades, representing "communities of resistance". Simon Parker explores the interplay of "community" and "identity" - using a methodology developed in the previous issue of City (Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 190-202) to study what he terms "structuration". The analysis suggests that at least two dimensions have been crucial in these cases: the degree to which political forces sought to transform identity (strong in Paris and Bologna, weak in London) and the approach adopted to the management of change (essentially defensive in Paris and London, innovative and progressive in Bologna).