The Big Society

So just what is this Big Society stuff all about? I thought I'd do a few short posts drawing on some comments and discussion I've seen, looking at what people associate Big Society with, how Christians have influenced and are influencing the concept, problems people have raised with it, and what opportunities it could raise for churches.

So what are we talking about here? Ian Birrell, writing in the Guardian offers the following:

'At its core, the big society is an attempt to connect the civic institutions that lie between the individual and the state – and these range from the family and neighbourhood to churches, charities, libraries, local schools and hospitals. It is born out of recognition that our centralised state has become too big, too bureaucratic and just too distant to support many of those most in need of help, and that it deters people from playing a more active role in public life.

In political terms, this means passing power to the lowest level possible: radical public service reform, so that schools, social services, planning and even prisons are more responsive to the needs of those using them; and social action, to encourage more people to play a role in society. Not just charities, but neighbourhood groups, workers' co-operatives, social enterprises and, yes, businesses.

To amplify the devolution of power there must be greater transparency, freeing up the state's information and data. This is vital because much of the reform is results-driven – it does not matter who delivers a public service, only that the best possible service is delivered to the public and that they have a clear view of successes and failures.'

So the Big Society seeks to change the current dynamic which sees the taxpayer as a consumer - one who can demand certain standards of service from whomsoever Government contracts to deliver the services for which the taxpayer pays. It's community not consumerism. Local people set the priorities for local services, and increasingly will need to provide them as the state is pared back.

In this relationship Government becomes less of a provider and more of a facilitator. It will support the raising of a 'citizen's army' of 5,000 community organisers who will identify community leaders, help the creation of neighbourhood groups, and help local communities solve their own issues. A new Big Society bank will find £60 to £100 million from dormant bank accounts which intermediary groups will distribute to charities, social enterprises and community groups.

So far so good - all very plausible. But what are the implications for such a radical shift in the relationship between Government and citizens? What more will it take to make this vision a reality? And how might local churches want to respond to this enhanced local emphasis?

 

 

Comments

[John]

Very interesting blog - thanks!

The cultural shift from being consumers to being 'partners' is clearly at the heart of the Big Society ideal. I know I keep going only about the 'Health and Safety' mentality, but it seems to me that we live a society where protection from reality is the norm: benefits cushion us from unemployment; drugs dull the effects of mental imbalance; employment contracts protect from 'unfair' dismissal, and so on. In themselves, these are good things, but the net result - it could be argued - is a generation who take no responsibility for their own lives, expecting the state to pick up the tab, even for culpable credit card misuse.

Whilst the Big Society ideal is a welcome antidote to this consumerist mentality, my fear is that people are so conditioned to being recipients rather than contributors that it will never take off. How do we truly change the culture of this nation? It's not a new question: in 1802 Wordsworth wrote -

Milton! thou should'st be living at this hour:
England hath need of thee: she is a fen
Of stagnant waters: altar, sword and pen,
Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,
Have forfeited their ancient English dower
Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;
Oh! raise us up, return to us again;
And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

John.