How can inclusive localities be created, which political conditions contribute to this and what are the biggest challenges? Sabine Meier, co-editor of the publication “Inclusive Localities. Perspectives on Local Social Policies and Practices” speaks about the findings published in the new volume.
Interview on
“Inclusive Localities. Perspectives on Local Social Policies and Practices”
What is your publication about? Could you give us a brief overview?
Our publication explores the local policies, cultures, and practices that cities and municipalities are developing to foster social inclusion. Being inclusive as a city is not a voluntary matter; it is a political and legal mandate. The concept of the UN Convention on social inclusion not only sets limits for municipalities regarding exclusive structures and practices by characterizing violations of inclusion as human rights violations but also contains a concrete mandate to shape cultural change towards social inclusion. Many authors of this edited book not only refer to ‘inclusion’ as the participation of people with disabilities but also to ‘all groups at risk of exclusion,’ on the one hand, and to enabling environments and cities that promote social inclusion through equal access to public resources on the other.
How did the idea for “Inclusive Localities” develop?
When Lena Bertelmann, Lars Wissenbach, and I had the idea for this edited book, I was still working at the ZPE – the Centre for Planning and Evaluation of Social Services – at the University of Siegen. Scientists there have been researching the social and political participation of people with disabilities for decades. As an urban sociologist, I am particularly interested in the question of the extent to which cities have the ability to create spaces that can foster participation and diversity. And so we came up with the idea of publishing a reader in which authors take a close look at the interaction between social, political, and spatial inclusion.
You critically examine integrative conditions in international contexts and analyse the effects of political programmes in different countries. What are the most striking differences in the political programmes and their local implementation?
The political programme of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities does not include different programmes for different countries but is a programme that applies equally to all. It goes back to the most important human rights treaties of the United Nations. The equal participation of all groups at risk of exclusion is, therefore, a human right, but it is implemented differently depending on the local context (such as actor networks, financial resources, or capable individuals) – as the contributions from different countries illustrate. However, the extent to which cities and municipalities are able to promote social inclusion depends not only on financial resources and political measures but also on how and whether civil society thinks and acts inclusively. The latter can only be influenced – let alone controlled – to a limited extent.
What role does the municipal level play in the successful implementation of inclusion – in comparison to supra-local levels?
There is no general answer to this question. Each individual contribution in this book shows how differently the mandate to create inclusive infrastructures and places is perceived. It seems clear, however, that cities and municipalities are often caught between the overarching mandate formulated at a higher level on one hand and a lack of resources and opportunities on the other.
What are currently the biggest challenges in creating inclusive cities and neighbourhoods in Germany?
The biggest challenge in creating inclusive cities and neighbourhoods is solving the housing issue – and not just in Germany. Due to the enormous increase in land and property values, rents, and energy prices in recent years, many people, especially all groups at risk of exclusion, are exposed to the risk of impoverishment or loss of housing. If people have no or inadequate housing, other measures to promote participation will rarely be successful either.
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Sabine Meier, Lena Bertelmann, Lars Wissenbach (ed.)
“Inclusive Localities. Perspectives on Local Social Policies and Practices”
Also available in open access
About Sabine Meier
Since summer 2022, I have been working as a professor of Social Work and Participation with a focus on Social Space at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden. Here, I continue to focus on processes and spatial practices of social inclusion with my courses/classes and my research. Recently, I conducted a ´teaching-research project´ with social work students on the socio-spatial participation of various residents in a post-war neighbourhood in Wiesbaden and with this, we carried out a small autophotographic study with migrant women. Particularly, this (socio-spatial analytical) method of ‘Photo Voice’ makes it possible to understand neighbourhood locations and processes of inclusion or exclusion through the eyes of those who experience and shape them on a daily basis.
About the publication
The contributions in this book shed critical light on the shaping, negotiation, and creation of inclusive conditions of local authorities and localities. The authors analyse policy programs and reflect on their inclusive or exclusive effects in European and non-European contexts. Despite a number of global effects, which come about through supra-locally made decisions and influence the scope of action on the ground, many contributions emphasize the crucial role of the municipal level for a successful realisation of inclusion.
