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Visions of community for community OR

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  • Midgley, Gerald
  • Ochoa-Arias, Alejandro E

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to open space for a debate about normative visions of community and their implications for community OR. It is argued that, if practitioners do not reflect on the different visions that it is possible to promote, then there is a danger that they will default to the understanding of community that is implicit in the liberal/capitalist tradition currently dominant in the West (and increasingly most of the rest of the world). Some may be happy with this, but for those who wish to consider the value of alternative political traditions, there is a need for explicit reflection on the different possible meanings of the term 'community'. To clarify some of the choices available to community OR practitioners, three major political traditions are reviewed (liberalism, Marxism and communitarianism), as well as sub-divisions of these, and the paper asks: what kind of community OR practice would support each one? In all, eight different (sometimes overlapping) forms of community OR practice are identified, each of which is capable of promoting a different normative vision of community. There are therefore substantial political choices open to those involved in community OR.

Suggested Citation

  • Midgley, Gerald & Ochoa-Arias, Alejandro E, 1999. "Visions of community for community OR," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 259-274, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:27:y:1999:i:2:p:259-274
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Pinzon-Salcedo, Luis Arturo & Torres-Cuello, Maria Alejandra, 2018. "Community Operational Research: Developing a systemic peace education programme involving urban and rural communities in Colombia," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 946-959.
    2. Brocklesby, John & Beall, Elizabeth, 2018. "Processes of engagement and methodology design in Community Operational Research – Insights from the indigenous peoples sector," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 996-1005.
    3. Johnson, Michael P. & Midgley, Gerald & Chichirau, George, 2018. "Emerging trends and new frontiers in community operational research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1178-1191.
    4. Tavella, Elena & Papadopoulos, Thanos, 2017. "Applying OR to problem situations within community organisations: A case in a Danish non-profit, member-driven food cooperative," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(2), pages 726-742.
    5. Brauer, Tony, 2018. "Capturing the imprecision during an OR intervention: What is, what isn't and what should be," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 798-808.
    6. Midgley, Gerald & Johnson, Michael P. & Chichirau, George, 2018. "What is Community Operational Research?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 771-783.
    7. Yearworth, Mike & White, Leroy, 2018. "Spontaneous emergence of Community OR: Self-initiating, self-organising problem structuring mediated by social media," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 809-824.
    8. Romm, Norma R.A., 2018. "Reflections on a multi-layered intervention in the South African public education system: Some ethical implications for Community Operational Research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 971-983.
    9. White, Leroy, 2018. "A Cook's tour: Towards a framework for measuring the social impact of social purpose organisations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 784-797.
    10. Weaver, Miles W & Crossan, Kenny & Tan, Hock B & Paxton, Steven E, 2018. "A systems approach to understanding the perspectives in the changing landscape of responsible business in Scotland," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1149-1167.
    11. Gregory, Amanda J. & Atkins, Jonathan P. & Midgley, Gerald & Hodgson, Anthony M., 2020. "Stakeholder identification and engagement in problem structuring interventions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(1), pages 321-340.
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    13. Mwiti, Fredah & Goulding, Christina, 2018. "Strategies for community improvement to tackle poverty and gender issues: An ethnography of community based organizations (‘Chamas’) and women's interventions in the Nairobi slums," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 875-886.
    14. Ufua, Daniel E. & Papadopoulos, Thanos & Midgley, Gerald, 2018. "Systemic Lean Intervention: Enhancing Lean with Community Operational Research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1134-1148.
    15. Laouris, Yiannis & Romm, Norma RA, 2022. "Structured dialogical design as a problem structuring method illustrated in a Re-invent democracy project," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 301(3), pages 1072-1087.
    16. Gregory, Amanda J. & Atkins, Jonathan P., 2018. "Community Operational Research and Citizen Science: Two icons in need of each other?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1111-1124.

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