Community and spaces for engagement

In the context of the increasing focus of university engagement with regional communities, debates about the notion of 'community engagement' have assumed a new critical urgency. This paper presents a reflective case study of community engagement by people associated with RMIT University to explore the notion of creating a 'space' in which meaningful dialogue with community members becomes possible. Such spaces must take into account the multiple identities of the participants in a dialogue; acknowledging a particular constellation of social relations that mean that dialogues become both negotiated and managed. Understanding the experiences and processes of working within these 'spaces' allows a more complex and dynamic understanding of 'why' communities engage rather than a focus on 'how' communities engage.