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Collective realism: exploring the development and outcomes of urban housing collectives ARCHER, Tom <http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9857-359X> Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/16557/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/16557/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. Collective realism: Exploring the development and outcomes of urban housing collectives Thomas Luke Archer A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2016 Abstract The undersupply of housing in England has created a pervasive sense of crisis about the delivery of sufficient new dwellings. Alternative forms of housing provision therefore merit further exploration, particularly those that can deliver low cost, stable accommodation in good condition. Potential remedies may be found in various models for collective ownership of housing. Housing collectives are organisations controlled by their members and residents, operating in a defined geography, which collectively own and manage land and housing for the benefit of a designated group. But why have such organisations consistently been a marginal form of provision? And do the patterns of benefits and costs they create make their future expansion desirable? Significant gaps in knowledge emerge in attempting to answer such questions. Furthermore, the relationship between the benefits and costs arising within collectives, and the form and function of these organisations, is poorly understood. Three housing collectives were studied intensively to address these gaps in knowledge. Ideas from realist social science and analytical sociology are brought to bear on processes of change. The study finds powerful constraints and enablements in the internal workings of collectives, as well as a series of external constraints and enablements arising through the structure of relations around the collectives. Residents and members of the collectives identified a range of costs and benefits. Causal mechanisms are introduced to show how these perceived outcomes are, in part, attributable to collective form and function. The rules governing collective forms blend with internal regulation, to generate certain costs and benefits. Furthermore, the history of each collective tends to shape current behaviours to preserve original ideals and achieve desired outcomes. The lessons from this research are far reaching for activists, support agencies and governments, revealing forms of agency and state intervention which can affect the conditions for future collectivism. 2 Acknowledgements I was fortunate to be raised in a household where debate and enquiry were a part of everyday life, and where the desire to learn and understand the world seemed the natural disposition. I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother Sylvia for this. Furthermore, the completion of this thesis was only possible because of her acts of support and generosity. And whilst my father, Keith, is no longer with us, he remains an inspiration for my continued work in this field. The depths of insights offered here owe much to those who were interviewed and observed. All those involved embraced my persistent questioning and probing in the spirit it was intended, and the research is a testament to their reflections and analysis of their own situations. However, full responsibility for the interpretation of their contributions resides with me. I was lucky to have two highly experienced and knowledgeable PhD supervisors, Professor David Robinson and Professor Ian Cole. Their guidance and constructive feedback has been invaluable, and it has been a privilege to draw on their joint wisdom. I would also like to thank fellow PhD students and staff in CRESR and beyond, who have at various points provided insightful and critical reflections. I am also particularly indebted to my wife Rachael, who through the process of supporting me has developed an impressive range of diplomatic and therapeutic skills. She was also a critical part of my proof-reading team, which helped refine the thesis when it neared completion. With Rachael, Nathan Archer and Mark Jayes were valued proof-readers, and patiently sat through many a moan. I will be there to return the favour in due course. Finally, a thank you to Sam Archer, the source of many smiles and the one who helped keep it all in perspective. 3 Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................... 10 1.1. Questions from the practice of collectivism ............................................. 10 1.2. A time of crisis: The relevance and timeliness of this study .................... 10 1.3. Housing collectivism: A role in remedying current housing problems? .... 12 1.4. The aims of the study ............................................................................. 14 Chapter Two: Housing Collectivism; intellectual origins, definitions and practical expressions ............................................................................................................. 16 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 16 2.2. Tracing the intellectual origins of housing collectivism ............................ 16 2.3. Defining housing collectivism in England ................................................ 20 2.4. Housing collectivism in England: Forms and trajectories ........................ 23 2.5. Emerging questions ................................................................................ 32 Chapter Three: The development and outcomes of housing collectivism ......... 33 3.1. The constraint and enablement of housing collectivism .......................... 33 3.2. The costs and benefits of housing collectivism ....................................... 53 3.3. Conclusions from the literature ............................................................... 67 Chapter Four: The Analytical Framework ............................................................. 70 4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 70 4.2. Causation and realism ............................................................................ 70 4.3. Causal explanation ................................................................................. 73 4.4. Causal mechanisms ............................................................................... 77 4.5. Social mechanisms ................................................................................. 79 4.6. The application of the analytical framework ............................................ 81 Chapter Five: Research methodology ................................................................... 82 5.1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 82 5.2. The position of the researcher ................................................................ 82 5.3. A case study design ............................................................................... 83 5.4. Data collection ........................................................................................ 98 5.5. Data analysis ........................................................................................ 112 Chapter Six: Case Descriptions ........................................................................... 122 6.1. The Milton Park Community.................................................................. 122 6.2. Walterton and Elgin Community Homes ............................................... 136 4 6.3. Granby 4 Streets Community Land Trust .............................................. 147 6.4. The phases of development.................................................................. 159 Chapter Seven: Internal constraints and enablements ...................................... 162 7.1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 162 7.2. Beliefs and psychologies ...................................................................... 163 7.3. Individual agency .................................................................................. 172 7.4. The synergised agency of individuals ................................................... 184 7.5. Internal constraint and enablement: A mechanistic picture ................... 193 Chapter Eight: External constraints and enablements ...................................... 198 8.1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 198 8.2. A typology of external bodies ................................................................ 198 8.3. External bodies: actions and interactions .............................................. 200 8.4. External constraint and enablement: The structure of relations ............. 228 Chapter Nine: The benefits of collectivism ........................................................