Asset Mapping in Communities

Abstract

Policy makers have tended to create hierarchical systems where a small number of people are in charge of the mass production of standardised goods. Clients/consumers in large numbers grow dependent on this cycle of production. Such systems create dependency rather than empowerment. The author argues that in creating maps to reflect the way in which these systems work we have tended to neglect the notion of “associated community”; where there is a dependence on consent, choice, care and citizen power. This chapter explores the nature of the relationship between systems, communities and citizens, and looks at the shift, in developed society, from equal relationships between citizens and communities to a relationship where systems are dominant. The authors argue that the move towards an increasingly “consumerist society” has marginalized the role of the citizen. In order to encourage and build healthy communities we must recognise and appreciate the unique capabilities that communities offer in developing, nurturing and caring for their citizens.