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Section E:
Involving Socially Excluded or Harder to Reach Groups

Inactive Majority

The population can be broken down into a number of different segments. There are “activists” who regularly seek to involve themselves in Consultation. They will give you their views whether you ask them or not. A second segment are those who are relatively easy to reach in consultation exercises, and who respond to surveys and vote in local elections. The largest segment, the inactive majority, are a “harder to reach” group, as a serious effort is required to obtain their views. This group is often not considered as a hard to reach group, and consequently their views are often left unexplored. In many ways they are a crucial group, as they are most likely to be disillusioned and disinterested with the Council and its services. By improving relationships with this group, the Council is better placed to enhance the quality of life of other excluded groups and for the population as a whole.

The disinterested nature of this group makes it difficult to get them to participate in consultation exercises. However, it can be done using qualitative research methods such as focus groups. The Council has recently commissioned focus groups with “inactive” residents both for a consultation about modernising local government and for consultations about crime and disorder.

For more information and advice contact Mike Barnett (tel: 01274 432221).

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