DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2022, 14(3):103-128 | DOI: 10.32725/det.2022.024

The potential role of university community engagement (UCE) in social justice and sustainability transformation – the case of the University of Szeged (Hungary)

György Málovics, Judit Juhász, Zoltán Bajmócy
University of Szeged, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Research Centre, 6722 Szeged, Kálvária sgt. 1

The aim of the paper is to reflect on the role of social justice orientated university community engagement (UCE) (Hazelkorn, 2016a, 2016b) in contributing to social justice and environmental sustainability transformations. We build on the social justice perspective to UCE (Hazelkorn, 2016a, 2016b); the transformative approaches to social justice and sustainability (Hopwood et al., 2005); and UCE models that deal with the transformative potential of UCE partnerships (e.g. Himmelman, 2001) as theoretical frameworks. We apply autoethnography to reconstruct and critically reflect on the transformative potential of a social justice orientated UCE process that we as researcher-activists are a part of. We use the UCE initiatives of the Research Centre of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the University of Szeged (Hungary) as a case study to reflect on UCE in a Hungarian urban context in the city of Szeged (Hungary). We analyze how power relations (partnerships) function and change within UCE; how UCE is able (or not) to change existing power relations (empower the marginalized) within a specific urban social context; and how these changes in the social power of the marginalized might (or might not) contribute to transformative changes in relation to social justice and sustainability. We conclude that (1) it is difficult to establish transformative (equal) relations among academics and communities; (2) working with community representatives might lead to unknown, unexpected and contradictory UCE impacts; (3) transformative intentions and characteristics of UCE do not imply that transformative social impacts are actually realized; and (4) transformative relationships (as understood in UCE literature) do not necessarily lead to transformative social changes (as conceptualized in the literature on social justice and sustainability).

Keywords: university community engagement (UCE), social justice, sustainability, partnership, transformation

Published: December 31, 2022  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Málovics, G., Juhász, J., & Bajmócy, Z. (2022). The potential role of university community engagement (UCE) in social justice and sustainability transformation – the case of the University of Szeged (Hungary). DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism, 14(3), 103-128. doi: 10.32725/det.2022.024
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Anderson, L. (2016). Analytic Autoethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(4) 373-395. Go to original source...
    2. Avelino, F., Wittmayer, J. M., Pel, B., Weaver, P., Dimitru, A., Haxeltine, A., Kemp, R., Jörgensen, S. M., Bauler, T., Ruijsink, S., & O'Riordan, T. (2019). Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 145, 195-206. Go to original source...
    3. Bajmócy, Z. (2021). Participation in Urban Planning and the Post-Socialist Legacy. Revisiting Maier's Hypothesis Through the Case of Hungary. Deturope, 13(1), 4-23. Go to original source...
    4. Bajmócy, Z., Gébert, J., Málovics, G., Méreiné Berki, B., & Juhász, J. (2020). Urban Strategic Planning from the Perspective of Well-Being: Evaluation of the Hungarian Practice. European Spatial Research and Policy, 27(1), 221-241. Go to original source...
    5. Benneworth, P., Kaiser, F., Vossensteyn, H., & Westerheijden, D. (2018). Critical Approaches to Developing Effective Accountability Tools in Higher Education. In Benneworth, P., Ćulum, B., Farnell, T., Kaiser, F., Seeber, M., ©ćukanec, N., Vossensteyn, H., & Westerheijden, D. (2018). Mapping and Critical Synthesis of Current State-of-the-Art on Community Engagement in Higher Education (pp. 76-100). Zagreb: Institute for the Development of Education.
    6. Benneworth, P. (2018). Chapter 1: Definitions, approaches and challenges to community engagement. In Benneworth, P., Ćulum, B. Farnell, T., Kaiser, F., Seeber, M., ©ćukanec, N., Vossensteyn, H., & Westerheijden, D. (2018). Mapping and Critical Synthesis of Current State-of-the-Art on Community Engagement in Higher Education (pp. 16-46). Zagreb: Institute for the Development of Education.
    7. Bleiklie, I. & Kogan, M. (2007). Organization and Governance of Universities. Higher Education Policy, 20, 477-493. Go to original source...
    8. Carayannis, E. G., & Campbell, D. F. (2009). 'Mode 3'and'Quadruple Helix': toward a 21st century fractal innovation ecosystem. International journal of technology management, 46(3-4), 201-234. Go to original source...
    9. Clayton, P., Bringle, R., Senor, B., Hug, J., & Morrison, M. (2010). Differentiating and Assessing Relationships in Service-Learning and Civic Engagement: Exploitative, Transactional, or Transformational. Journal of Community Service Learning, 16(2), 5-22.
    10. Compagnucci, L., & Spigarelli, F. (2020). The Third Mission of the university: A systematic literature review on potentials and constraints. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, 161, 120284. Go to original source...
    11. Ćulum, B. (2018). Chapter 2: Literature review: Dimensions and currentpractices of community engagement. In Benneworth, P., Ćulum, B., Farnell, T., Kaiser, F., Seeber, M., ©ćukanec, N., Vossensteyn, H., & Westerheijden, D. (2018). Mapping and Critical Synthesis of Current State-of-the-Art on Community Engagement in Higher Education (pp. 47-75). Zagreb: Institute for the Development of Education.
    12. Dempsey, S. E. (2010). Critiquing community engagement. Management Communication Quarterly, 24, 359-390. Go to original source...
    13. Dorado, S., & Giles, D. E. (2004). Service-learning partnerships: Paths of engagement. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 11(1), 25-37.
    14. Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., Gebhardt, C., & Terra, B. R. C. (2000). The future of the university and the university of the future: evolution of ivory tower to entrepreneurial paradigm. Research Policy, 29(2), 313-330. Go to original source...
    15. Gál, Z., & Ptaček, P. (2011). The role of mid-range universities in knowledge transfer in non-metropolitan regions in Central Eastern Europe. European Planning Studies, 19(9), 1669-1690. Go to original source...
    16. Gál, Z., & Zsibók, Z. (2011). Regional Engagement of Mid-Range Universities: Adapting European Models and Best Practices in Hungary. AUDEM: The International Journal of Higher Education and Democracy, 2(1), 94-120.
    17. Hazelkorn, E. (2016a). Contemporary Debates Part 1: Theorising Civic Engagement. In Goddard, J., Hazelkorn, E., Kempton, L., & Vallance, P. (eds.). The Civic University. The Policy and Leadership Challenges (pp. 34-64). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Go to original source...
    18. Hazelkorn, E. (2016b). Contemporary debates part 2: initiatives, and governance and organisational structures. In Goddard, J., Hazelkorn, E., Kempton, L., & Vallance, P. (eds.). The Civic University. The Policy and Leadership Challenges (pp. 65-93). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Go to original source...
    19. Hazelkorn, E. (2018). Reshaping the world order of higher education: The role and impact of rankings on national and global systems. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 2(1), 4-31. Go to original source...
    20. Himmelman, A. T. (2001). On Coalitions and the Transformation of Power Relations: Collaborative Betterment and Collaborative Empowerment, American Journal of Community Psychology, 29(2), 277-284. Go to original source...
    21. Hopwood, B., Mellor, M., & O'Brien, G. (2005). Sustainable Development: Mapping Different Approaches. Sustainable Development, 13, 38-52. Go to original source...
    22. Juhász, J., Málovics, G., & Bajmócy, Z. (2021). Co-creation, reflection, and transformation. The social impacts of a service-learning course at the University of Szeged. Vezetéstudomány, 52(7) 6-17. Go to original source...
    23. Kraatz, M. S., & Block, E. S. (2008). Organizational Implications of Institutional Pluralism. In Greenwood, R., Oliver, C., Sahlin, K., & Suddaby, R. (eds.). The Sage Handbook of Organizational Institutionalism (pp. 243-275). Singapore: Sage Publications. Go to original source...
    24. Laredo, P. (2007). Revisiting the third mission of universities: Toward a renewed categorization of university activities?. Higher education policy, 20(4), 441-456. Go to original source...
    25. Larrán Jorge, M. & Andrades Peña, F. J. (2017). Analysing the Literature on University Social Responsibility: A Review of Selected Higher Education Journals. Higher Education Quarterly, 71(4), 302-319. Go to original source...
    26. Málovics, G., Bajmócy, Z., Gébert, J., Juhász, J., Méreiné Berki, B., & Mihók B. (2022). A közösségi szerepvállalás mint az egyetemek újrafelfedezett, de elhanyagolt feladata. Magyar Tudomány, 183, 631-643.
    27. Málovics G., Méreiné Berki, B., Pataki, G., Juhász J., Pálné Mihók, B., Szentistványi, I., Nagy, M., & Tóth J. (2021a). Confronting espoused theories with theories-in-use: Challenges of participatory action research (PAR) with marginalized communities in contributing to social change and theory building. Action Research, 9(2), 255-276. Go to original source...
    28. Málovics, G., Méreiné Berki, B., & Mihály, M. (2021b). Policy reform instead of policy transformation? Experiences of participatory action research (PAR) on desegregation policy in Szeged, Hungary. IJAR - International Journal of Action Research, 1, 81-101. Go to original source...
    29. Méreiné Berki, B., Málovics, G., & Cretan, R. (2021): "You become one with the place": social mixing, social capital, and the lived experience of urban desegregation in the Roma community. Cities, 117, 103302. Go to original source...
    30. Reisinger, A., & Dános, Z. (2021). Examining the Visibility of Social Responsibility on the Websites of Hungarian State Universities. Deturope. 13(3), 58-72. Go to original source...
    31. Shek, D., Yuen Tsang, A. & Ng, E. (2017). University social responsibility (USR): insight from the historical roots to the contemporary challenges. In Shek, D., & Hollister, R. (eds.). University Social Responsibility and Quality of Life-A global Survey of Concepts and Experiences (pp. 25-36). Singapore: Springer. Go to original source...
    32. Szirmai, V. (2014). The Social Well-Being Issues of the European Urbanisation Stages and the Possibilities of their Management by the Creation of Spatial Configurations. Deturope, 6(2), 64-76. Go to original source...
    33. Tagai, G. (2016). The Territorial Dimension of Social Exclusion in East-Central-Europe. Deturope, 8(2), 58-71. Go to original source...
    34. Tyler, T. R. (2000). Social justice: Outcome and procedure. International Journal of Psvchologv, 35, 117-125. Go to original source...
    35. Udvarhelyi, É. T. (2013) (In)justice on the streets: The long housing crisis in Hungary from above and below. Unpublished PhD thesis, New York: Environmental Psychology, Graduate Center City University of New York.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content