ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the discourse of collaboration, exemplified in the current emphasis on multi-agency working, communities of practice and interdisciplinary research. It argues that while such developments are understandable responses to perceived weaknesses in previous modes of operation and forms of provision, there has been insufficient critical scrutiny of their underlying assumptions. Considerable attention has been directed at issues of structure, communication and professional training, but the potential risks of a ‘collective’ approach to service provision have been under-examined. These include the blurring of lines of responsibility, the formation of a ‘protectionist’ model of professional identity and the marginalizing of important ethical concerns. The argument is illustrated with examples from the fields of education, social work and health. In the final part of the chapter, the implications for theories of social capital are explored.
