ABSTRACT
In this chapter, local community work is viewed as an expression of the aim in advanced welfare states to govern the population through developing local communities' capacities for active citizenship. The chapter focuses on how a number of such technologies are played out in a Danish context. The Danish case is interesting because local community work is still closely intertwined with the national and municipal state, whereas in many other countries local community work has been under pressure from increased austerity measures that have redirected funds towards increased private partnership and non-profit funding; although many of the same rationalities are also in play in the Danish setting. The chapter is based on research conducted in relation to the project 'Views of Humans in Social Work', where fieldwork was conducted in six local community projects in Denmark, consisting of both observation periods in each case and interviews with local professionals and national consultants.
