Non‐employee critical HRD: empowerment and communities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, drawing on the author's experience, the role of human resource development (HRD) in developing individuals, teams and communities.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a critically reflective methodology rooted in the research practice of the author working alongside communities in the UK.Findings – A non‐employee critical HRD can foster empowered spaces by which alternative discourses can be held up to the light and critical questions posed. The paper introduces the notion of a different form of empowerment that moves away from the individual to a view of suspension of action, of supporting the exploration of assumptions and taken‐for‐granteds, of identifying constructions of reality by members of communities, and inquiring into the social conditions which play a large part in determining their health and ambitions.Practical implications – At a time when extensive cuts are being planned for public services, and the discourse of community empower...