Participation and Social Isolation

Abstract

This chapter examines the level of social isolation in Blackbird Leys, relating this to the dynamics of civic participation on the estate. It takes an approach which contrasts with conventional network analysis, instead presenting qualitative data drawn from archival work and interviews in the field. This is for a good reason; the focus taken is distinct from much of the existing empirical work focusing on participation and social networks as it is less interested in the social connections made by the participants rather than any meaningful disconnection that exists between the residents of Blackbird Leys as well as with other, more affluent areas of Oxford. It suggests that the level, and form, of social isolation experienced by residents of the estate is an important structural effect, working as a socialisation mechanism which provides valuable indications of the likelihood of effective democratic participation.