ABSTRACT
Plans for the regeneration of problem areas must have the full understanding, involvement and commitment of the local community. The problem of managing fairly small groups of community activists in each of the areas took on a very much heightened significance. In Wester Hailes relations with the community seem to have been less strained, though even representatives complained at the conference of ‘the lack of community involvement in the decision-making process’. The issue of the poll tax, then, began to crystallize the particular nature of the containment of community action which was attempted within the speech genre of partnership. The ‘social strategy’ genre had recognised, at least in principle, the legitimacy of both the objectives and practices of community action. The Partnership had quickly mobilised arguments against the validity and usefulness of this exercise, because they were seen to be developing in the direction of joint campaigning between the various community groups on national policy issues.
