Could Rational Choice Theory Have Been Used to Predict the Failures of the Aston Pride Project?

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Abstract The Aston Pride Project was developed and launched as part of the New Deal for Communities initiative implemented after New Labour was elected into government in June 1997. The New Deal was originally intended to help individuals that belonged to groups that were more likely to be unemployed or low paid such as under 25’s, over 50’s and lone parents. Its success at helping people back into employment led to the government expanding the programme to deprived areas to aid economic regeneration. Aston is an area of Birmingham linked to social and economic problems such as higher unemployment and crime, poorer health, education and housing provision plus discrimination against Black and ethnic minority communities that live in the area. Those problems had persisted despite previous attempts to regenerate the area. However the Aston Pride Project would prove to have more failures and cause greater controversy than other projects associated with the New Deal for Communities programme that sought to renew areas of social and economic deprivation and exclusion. The New Deal for Communities programmes was specifically meant for inner city areas such as Aston that were in need of social and economic regeneration. The following dissertation will examine whether those failures and controversies could have been predicted and even prevented if the Rational Choice Theory had been used to evaluate the potential success or failure of the Aston Pride Project prior to its launch. This dissertation will use the final report from Birmingham City Council about the Aston Pride Project alongside local press reports as well as suitable sociological sources and any other relevant materials. The failures of the Aston Pride Project will be examined and the potential advantages of analysis offered by the Rational Choice Theory discussed. Introduction Rational Choice Theory
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