Social Inclusion & Cooperative Organizing: Relearning Democracy and Building Collective Power
Dr. Bulger will present her dissertation research and align it with work she is currently engaged in- collaborating with a neighborhood group to launch a cooperatively-owned laundromat and community space in Cleveland, Ohio.
The focus of her dissertation builds on a contextually-relevant theory of social inclusion by analyzing data from the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). CNI was the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) flagship redevelopment program. The initiative supports local agencies to rebuild distressed public and assisted housing into mixed-income developments. Dr. Bulger’s research illuminates a diverse set of practices, processes, programs, and structures utilized by various cities who received funding. Her exploration could be instrumental in creating more inclusive communities, as well as addressing limitations and inherent contradictions of the program.