Thursday, 06 December 2007

Banal encounters?

Hangin_out_3 It could be that the cohesion movement is discovering the importance of informality. A report by the Institute of Community Cohesion on divisions among young people in the London Borough of Hounslow has apparently floated the idea of creating more 'banal encounters' where children and young people from different communities meet.

This gradual recognition is very welcome. I recall some background unofficial conversations around the work of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which indicated how difficult it was to get even those who are very familiar with the issues to appreciate the significance of everyday unstructured encounters with diverse others. If I go on about it a lot (eg ephemeral relationships; or respecting informality as a principle) it's because I'm persuaded that it's under-appreciated.

The point surely is not whether this makes sense, because it's attention which is obviously overdue; but how to ensure (i) that the occasions and opportunities for encounters are constantly there, maintained and reinforced, and (ii) that people have the confidence and competence in social interaction to manage and benefit from encounters with diverse others.

Source: Children and young people now. (Thanks to John Vincent of The Network).

6 Dec 2007 12:16:00 | Cohesion and diversity, Neighbourhood relations

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Kevin Harris

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