Community Studies and Re-Studies in the 21st Century: Methodological Challenges and Strategies for the Future

Abstract

This article looks at the background to community studies and the case for community re-studies. It examines the contribution of such research to understanding different dimensions of social change. The discussion highlights a number of challenges for such research, given changes in the meaning of community and the social contexts in which people experience everyday life. The article uses a particular research study to highlight some of the strengths and limitations associated with re-studies. It develops a number of strategies for developing community-based research, building on issues arising from industrial change and globalization and concludes with an assessment of possible futures for work in the community studies tradition.