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Michael Clague worked in the fields of adult education, social policy and planning, and community development. He also taught and wrote and published extensively on public policy issues, community development and social planning.
In his memor, So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress (self-published, 2022) Clague provides his perspectives as a lifelong community worker. His story, he says “is set within the optimism of the mid-twentieth century, a period following World War Two that provided the opportunity to say ‘never again; that we can make the world a better place.’ True, it was played out against the Cold War and the spectre of nuclear Armageddon, but, spurred on by the baby-boom’s youth revolution challenges were made to every facet of society: the peace movement, civil rights, human rights, women’s rights, sexuality, an awakening to the presence in our society of long-neglected people; those marginalized by disability, race, class and income, and gender. Religions and established social institutions struggled to adapt. The possibility of change was exhilarating. Public policies and programs in Canada made substantial advances by governments of all stripes. And then they were confronted by the ideology of neo-conservatism. Activism went on the defensive. Community work has been re-grouping ever since.”
This is a reflective piece as Clague, a Vancouver resident, describes his personal and work journeys and how one informs the other. It tells of his continuing quest for self-awareness and self-understanding in order to engage and contribute to society. He invites readers to reflect on their own quest, asking “What, dear reader, does this suggest about your own journey?”
BOOKS
So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress (self-published, 2022) 97819991665
In Search of Progress: Questions from a Life in Community Work in a Time of Fear and Disillusionment in Democracy (Self Published, 2024) $10.00 9781999166533
Review of the author's work by BC Studies: Reforming Human Services: The Experience of the Community Resources Boards in B.C.
[BCBW 2024]
In his memor, So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress (self-published, 2022) Clague provides his perspectives as a lifelong community worker. His story, he says “is set within the optimism of the mid-twentieth century, a period following World War Two that provided the opportunity to say ‘never again; that we can make the world a better place.’ True, it was played out against the Cold War and the spectre of nuclear Armageddon, but, spurred on by the baby-boom’s youth revolution challenges were made to every facet of society: the peace movement, civil rights, human rights, women’s rights, sexuality, an awakening to the presence in our society of long-neglected people; those marginalized by disability, race, class and income, and gender. Religions and established social institutions struggled to adapt. The possibility of change was exhilarating. Public policies and programs in Canada made substantial advances by governments of all stripes. And then they were confronted by the ideology of neo-conservatism. Activism went on the defensive. Community work has been re-grouping ever since.”
This is a reflective piece as Clague, a Vancouver resident, describes his personal and work journeys and how one informs the other. It tells of his continuing quest for self-awareness and self-understanding in order to engage and contribute to society. He invites readers to reflect on their own quest, asking “What, dear reader, does this suggest about your own journey?”
BOOKS
So, How Have I Been Doing At Being Who I Am?: At 82, A Life In Progress (self-published, 2022) 97819991665
In Search of Progress: Questions from a Life in Community Work in a Time of Fear and Disillusionment in Democracy (Self Published, 2024) $10.00 9781999166533
Review of the author's work by BC Studies: Reforming Human Services: The Experience of the Community Resources Boards in B.C.
[BCBW 2024]
