Community building – developing holistic, community-based preventive approaches

The project explores how inclusive community building may prevent marginalization and produce movement beyond societal tendencies of ethnic and social polarization. The goal is to develop theory and methods that support community building, as well as meaningful documentation methods. A team of researchers at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, is conducting practice research in joint ventures with organizations employing two different preventive approaches. Project Active Boys (Aktive Drenge, AD) is developing a holistic group method “close to the family”, and works with projects in the local area of Nørrebro (such as the Nørrebro Run). Street Lab (SL), which is part of the Social Cultural Village in Hillerød, creates inclusive boundary communities, engaging children, young people, their families and volunteers of all ages in social and cultural activities. We research these preventive approaches as prototypical practices, including a focus on how to build bridges between public authorities (SSP, social and employment services) and civil society and community organizations.