Making Knowledge Work : Sustaining Learning Communities and Regions

The fundamental issue posed by this book is what kind of partnerships between government, academic researchers and community groups can best work to achieve a range of social and economic objectives. What kinds of objectives, whom they are determined by, and how they are measured, are themes which run throughout the text. In part this book presents an analysis of democratic participation in the different contexts that the writers describe. In part, it is also a call to a common commitment to the importance of policy-making which encompasses social priorities as well as economic pressures. There is an attempt to facilitate closer, more dynamic and productive collaboration among researchers interacting with regional governments in different parts of the world. The aim is to share insights, and to promote an understanding of key issues that confront governments. The authors believe that we can learn from one another, and that a range of perspectives and experiences is of value. The most valuable insights may emerge where the greatest divergence appears to be. Learning is seen as an important and a central means of improvement in all parts of public life, both social and economic. Collective learning, the authors argue, contributes to the development of social policies that strengthen communities and enhance their quality of life. The book will appeal to social planners at all levels of government, as well as to scholars in the fields of social studies, management and administration. It is relevant to those concerned with lifelong learning, and indeed to all who take an interest in how we learn to govern ourselves better.Duke, C. is the author of 'Making Knowledge Work : Sustaining Learning Communities and Regions', published 2006 under ISBN 9781862012462 and ISBN 1862012466.