Professor Alessio D’Angelo, University of Derby (UK) will be giving the lecture:
Social Infrastructure and policies: rethinking collective assets, community inequalities and connectivity - beyond the policy buzzwords
With strong common interest in research on social policies and inequalities, the STRIDE project has invited Professor D'Angelo into a discussion combining his extensive research on social inequalities in diverse communities and STRIDE research on educational policies and long-term inequalities.
In recent years, the concept of ‘Social Infrastructure’ has become increasingly popular among policymakers and urban planners, often in the context of programmes of local investment, regeneration and socio-economic development.
Whilst different definitions are used, in the public policy arena Social Infrastructure tends to refer to “spaces, services and structures that support the quality of life of a nation, region, city or local community” (British Academy 2023).
In practical terms, this is commonly associated with a range of physical spaces, including libraries, health centres, advice centres, as well as places of social interaction, whether they are run by the public, private or third sector. Academic research also has highlighted the role of Social Infrastructure in enabling communities to become and stay connected and to develop processes of collective belonging, trust and solidarity.
The increase in public policies framed in terms of Social Infrastructure brings some new opportunities, but also challenges and risks. The term is often used in an overly optimistic and simplistic way, seemingly presenting Social Infrastructure as a set of assets which – by their own existence – can help address societal problems at local level.
These approaches downplay issues of inequality, unequal access to resources and power relations. In many ways, current discourses around Social Infrastructure mirror discussions on Social Networks and Social Capital which characterized the early 2000s – and risk repeating mistakes from the past in terms of policy and practice.
This paper builds on examples of collaborative research, academic exchange and local intervention to explore ways to research, (visually) map and promote Social Infrastructure in more meaningful ways, bringing together both individual and collective perspectives.
In doing so, it proposes a multi-dimensional reconceptualization of Social Infrastructure, aiming to inform new research agendas and approaches to local public investment, community regeneration and place making which can be more socially inclusive and really foster connected solidarities for individuals and collectives.
About the lecturer
Alessio D’Angelo is Professor of Public and Social Policy at the University of Derby (UK), where he co-directs the Centre for Applied Social Sciences, Policy, Practice and Research (CASSPPR).
He has extensive experience of conducting social and policy research on a wide range of issues, including social inequalities, diverse communities, Third Sector organisations and access to public services - with a particular interest in health, education and the migration-welfare nexus.
His methodological expertise includes quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research, with a focus on data mapping, participatory research and Social Network Analysis (SNA). Within the British Sociological Association, he has been convenor of the Social Network Analysis Study Group (SNAG) for over a decade.
More recently, he has established the Social Infrastructure Research Group (SIRGd) at the University of Derby. Alessio is also editor of the journal Social Policy and Society (Cambridge University Press) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Social Policy Association (SPA).
Picture: colourbox
