Abstract
This article suggests that practices of partnership in multi-agency working in the community and voluntary sectors in Ireland have not been adequately problematised. In the article, the experiences and understandings of professional youth and community workers engaged in multi-agency work are explored through a series of interviews. Analysis of their responses indicates that there is a range of unexplored issues in relation to ‘partnership’ discourse. In particular, concerns associated with power, trust and networks emerge. The analysis suggests that partnership in multi-agency work is seen by those interviewed as being far from benign and potentially a means of incorporation. These are important matters in broader debates about governance in late modern societies.
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