Interactions between universities, the community sector and public policy making are the focus of a new refereed Journal, Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, launched today by the University of Technology, Sydney, and Chicago's Loyola University.
Pauline O'Loughlin, Gateways co-editor, said the publication of Gateways is timely as 'Community engagement' has become a familiar term in the higher education lexicon in recent years.
"This journal provides a much-needed forum where academics and non-academics can question, debate and reflect on the principles and practice of their engagement to improve the quality of life in local communities around the world," she said.
Featuring contributions from leading Australian, US, Canadian and European thinkers, the first edition locates community engagement within broader academic contexts of social capital, ethics and inclusion and includes critical case studies of research-practitioner collaborative projects.
Articles include:
- University-Community Engagement: What does it mean? by Professor Jenny Onyx (University of Technology, Sydney)
- Doing What We Know We Should: engaged scholarship and community development by Professor Bruce Muirhead and Associate Professor Geoff Woolcock (Griffith University)
- Yolngu Studies: A case study of Aboriginal community engagement by Associate Professor Michael Christie (Charles Darwin University)
- Government Support and Infrastructure: Realizing the value of collaborative work by Peter Levesque (University of Ottawa)
- Breaking Out of the Local: International dimensions of science shops by Caspar DeBok (Utrecht University) and Norbert Steinhaus (Bonn Science Shop)
The 'Notes from the Field' section provides a space for grass roots community organisers from around the world to share experiences and learn from each other.
The Gateways Journal is published by UTS ePress as a partnership between Shopfront and the Centre for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University. The journal and articles can be downloaded for free.