Building Bridges: A Socioecological Approach to Inclusion and Community Cohesion in Post‐Industrial Coastal Communities

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ABSTRACT The project aimed to use arts‐based participatory research methods to explore the barriers and enablers to inclusion in transitional spaces for sanctuary seekers. The study engaged 12 members of a predominantly white, low‐income community and eight members of the sanctuary‐seeking community. Each group engaged in creative, participatory workshops, where clothing and textiles were used to elicit conversations about home, belonging and inclusion. The research involved 10 individuals from the third sector and local government in coastal communities (North‐west, UK) in order to understand their perspectives. Conventional content analysis revealed barriers to inclusion (e.g., language, stigma, mental health, systemic discrimination and misinformation). Creative methods were a powerful catalyst for building trust, reducing isolation and enhancing cohesion. Through a socioecological lens, the study proposed pathways for co‐producing community engagement between local and refugee communities. The findings highlighted the enabling quality of co‐created narratives in building trust, fostering empathy and challenging stereotypes amongst diverse communities. This paper contends that socioecological frameworks offer a compelling bridge between social and cultural divides by exploring the influence of individual, interpersonal, institutional and community‐level dynamics of community cohesion.

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