Immanent Authority and the Making of Community Discussion Paper

The full AHRC Connected Communities programme discussion paper is available for download here.

Executive Summary
Drawing  upon the  resources, energy and research of an inter-disciplinary group of  early career researchers, the Authority Research Network, this project uses  literature on ‘authority’ to theorise community production, empowerment and  participation. 

Community creation, vitality and empowerment  can be conceptualised in terms of the presence and performance of authority. Authority is a specific type of  power that functions through consent and structures of knowledge. Vibrant and  empowered community requires a plurality of forms of authority, which means  pluralism about what constitutes objective knowledge as well as conflicting  views on what constitutes community life. 

Modern  societies have seen a change in the  salient forms of authority; today the reference point of  authority is often a source of growth, creativity and innovation rather than  a point of origin, eternal-law or foundation. Spaces and practices of experimentation,  as well as technologies that capture and perform common experience, are vital  for the generation of participatory, empowered and vibrant community.

Future research on community empowerment should focus upon the conditions of production of authority and include studies of community performance, narration, history, imagination and community-led design. Participatory research should be directed towards fostering and recognising capacities of communities to produce knowledge through shared experimentation.

Images: Oxfam International, Phillippe Leroyer, Food Ethics Council, available under a Creative Commons - Attribution License.