The Big Society
Chris Bowlby looks at the practical consequences of replacing the state with volunteers.
Analysis · BBC Radio 4
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Show Notes
The "big society" - the idea that volunteers should take over some of the functions of the state - is the most over-used policy phrase of the moment. But how will the theory work in practice?
Chris Bowlby looks at the big society on the ground in Oxford - from the affluent streets of the City's North to the deprived estates of Blackbird Leys - and tries to figure out the consequences of expecting communities to do more for themselves.