Dr Gary Fraser

Lecturer/Programme Director - Learning in Communities

Biography

Background

I am a Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and currently the Programme Director of the MA Learning in Communities undergraduate degree. My background is in Community Learning and Development (CLD) where I worked for the best part of two decades as a CLD practitioner in local government. During that time I worked across CLD's three strands of practice, youth work, adult education and community development. I was also an adult learning tutor and delivered introductory classes in Sociology, Criminology and Psychology on community based adult learning programmes.

My current work involves teaching, supervision and course organisation on the Learning in Communities programme. I also supervise Dissertation students on the MSc Social Justice and Community Action, and MSc Education programmes.

My research and teaching interests focus on Community Learning and Development with a particular interest in adult education and community development.

I completed my PhD in 2017. My thesis title was, ‘Neoliberalism, New Managerialism and the New Professionalism in Community Development’

 

Qualifications

PhD in Education

Masters in Social Policy and Criminology

BA Degree (Honours) Community Education

 

 

Responsibilities & affiliations

Registered member of the CLD Standards Council for Scotland 

Chair of the journal Concept: http://concept.lib.ed.ac.uk/

Undergraduate teaching

Current undergraduate teaching (CO-Course Organiser):

Ideology and Social Problems (CO)

Community Based Research 1: Understanding the Community

Community Learning 1: Building Professional Identity

Professional Practice Placement 2 (CO)

Community Based Research 2: Understanding Organisations (CO)

Community Learning 2: Working with Groups

Community Learning 3: Education and Action in Communities (CO)

 

I have also taught on the following courses:

Working with Individuals and Groups

Introduction to Community Education

Introduction to Research in Community Settings

Community Work

Concepts and Controversies in Community Education

Postgraduate teaching

I previously taught on the following courses of the MSc Social Justice and Community Action Programme:

Activist Social Research

Community Engagement - Co-constructing Knowledge with Communities

Theories and Politics of Social Justice

Community Action and Social Justice

 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Research summary

My research interest is in Community Learning and Development (CLD) with a particular focus on adult education and community development. My PhD was based on qualitative research undertaken in 3 Scottish local authority areas. My research has considered the changing nature of professionalism and professional identity in CLD and explored the ways in which professionalism is a contested and ambiguous concept. I have also written about the relationship between CLD and neoliberalism and have drawn upon ideas associated with Michel Foucault in order to analyse neoliberalism’s transformative impact on CLD and local government more broadly. I am interested in qualitative research, ethnography, participant observation and grounded theory.

Current research interests

My research interests include: community development and adult education; qualitative research with a particular focus on ethnography.

Past research interests

My PhD was based on a case study of CLD practitioners working in the context of local government and was entitled 'Neoliberalism, New Managerialism and the New Professionalism in Community Development'

Conference details

Conference Presentations:

Fraser, G, (2018), 'New Digital Technologies and ‘Datafication’ in Community Education: Implications for Professionalism, Politics and Practice', Presentation at the Centre for Research in Digital Education Seminar Series', May, 2018

Fraser, G, (2016), 'Producing a Neoliberal Subject in the Public Sector? A Foucauldian Analysis of Technologies of Performance Management in the field of Community Education', Presentation at the 'Foucault at 90 Conference', University of the West of Scotland, June, 2016

Fraser, G, (2016), 'Community Education and the New Managerialism', Presentation at the Conference - 'Revisiting Adult Education: the Challenge of Change 40 Years On', University of Edinburgh, February, 2016.

Fraser, G, (2015), ''Community Education in Scotland Today: the Rise of New Public Managerialism and Implications for Professional Identity'?, Presentation at the 'Community Development Journal 50th Anniversary Conference', University of Edinburgh, July 2015

Fraser, G, (2015), 'Community Education in Scotland Today: the Rise of New Public Managerialism and Implications for Professional Identity'? Presentation at Youth and Community Education Conference, Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, June 2015

 

Fraser, G, (2023), 'From Occupational to Organisational Professionalism: Exploring the Changing Nature of Professionalism in Community Learning and Development (1975–2019)', Studies in the Education of Adults, DOI: 10.1080/02660830.2023.2284029

Fraser, G, (2020), ‘Community Development and the Austerity Decade (2010-19)’, in, ‘Concept’, Vol. 11, No 1, Spring 2020.

Fraser, G, (2019), Book Review: ‘Funding, Power and Community Development’, (2019), in, ‘Studies in the Education of Adults’, July 2019.

Fraser, G, (2018), ‘Foucault, Governmentality Theory and Neoliberal Community Development’, in, ‘Community Development Journal’, December 2018.

Fraser, G, (2017), ‘Creating Space for Thinking Together – Reflections on Community Engagement Seminar’, in, ‘Concept’, 8, (3), 6, December 2017.

Fraser, G, (2017), ‘Neoliberalism, New Managerialism and the New Professionalism in Community Development’, (2017) PhD, University of Edinburgh.

Fraser, G, (2015), ‘A Tale of Two Anniversaries: the Alexander Report (1975) and the Birth of the Performance Indicator (1985)’, in, ‘Concept; December 2015.

Fraser, G, (2015), ‘Managerialism in the Public Sector: a Political Critique’, in, ‘Scottish Left Review’, Issue 90, November 2015.

Fraser, G, (2012), ‘Community Development and the Politics of Local Government’, in, ‘Concept’, December 2012.

Fraser, G, (2011), ‘Outcomes and Cuts: the Current State of Official Community Engagement Strategy and Community Work’, in, Concept, November 2011.

Fraser, G, (2008), ‘Neo-liberal Welfare: the Politics of the Voluntary Sector’, in, ‘Concept’, August 2008.

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