Communities within spaces of flows

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The Communities within Spaces of Flows project is situated in a period of public sector spending cuts in which services are stretched and there has been a government call for a return to localism to address well-being needs (Localism Act, 2011; The Scottish Government, 2009). This idealistic desire to involve people in local decision making and community empowerment is at odds with the evolving concept of community where the place related connectivity of traditional communities has been replaced by more dispersed social networks maintained by technology and new mobility patterns. The networks of interpersonal ties that provide sociability, support, a sense of belonging and social identity are now less likely to reside in place and are less able to react to local need. At the same time there is growing recognition of the importance of integrating digital technology and health (Tinder Foundation, 2011) and a need to find new mechanisms to support an ageing population with increasing accessibility needs (Musselwhite & Haddad, 2010).The Connectivity and Conflict in Periods of Austerity project has illustrated how those with access to network capital (i.e. the resources, such as cars and mobile technology, needed to sustain and generate social capital) are best placed to exert influence on their localities while others remain excluded. This provides the grounding for this follow-up project with its revelations about middle class political activism and its effects on public services while other groups are marginalised. This poses fundamental questions about public engagement and people's ability to take control of their own well-being. This application for follow-up funding therefore explores important questions about technological interventions and their role in community well-being, fostering responsibility for place and local connectivity. The project will reflect on the fit of a combination of AHRC Connected Communities funded technologies, in addition to a collaborative travel App developed by the Sixth Sense Transport project (EPSRC Digital Economy funding, EP/J004650/1) (Davies et al. 2012), to extend and enable place based community support networks to obtain health and well-being gains. The project builds on the previous good working relationship with Wester Hailes and considers how the work of the Connected Communities groups might complement the more traditional patient/GP relationship and help produce measurable improvements in health.