Drawing upon what you learned about City Road, outline some of the ways in which differences are made and remade on a street that you know.
New Milton is a small coastal market town in South West Hampshire. The high street is relatively small but there is a combination of familiar high street chains as well as franchises and independent family run shops, which attract shoppers throughout the local area. There are a handful of pubs, many cafes and several takeaways. New Milton caters for the large population of retirees and young families of all levels of income. From what I have learned from the “Making Social Lives on City Road DVD” (2009) I can compare and contrast City Road to New Milton by looking at the similarities and differences that are continuously being made and remade, by people in relation to other people and people in relation to material objects and their environment. I will concentrate on the Mackintosh Centre, Tastebuds, and the nightlife in City Road and how this compares to New Milton.
The Mackintosh Centre on City Road (“The Street,” 2009 Scene 3) is an example of a deliberate attempt by local authorities to remake the differences in society by the various activities on offer to include all local people. However the Mackintosh Centre is often perceived by the local people as something that excludes them rather than includes them. Simon Bromley confirms these conflicting ideas of exclusion as he explains it shows “Who’s inside? And who’s outside?” as well as making local people feel “disconnected from society.” The Mackintosh Centre has different use on a Saturday, where it is turned into a farmers market where people can buy local produce. Although this is a different use of the same space the perceptions by the local people is different, one of inclusion not exclusion. Looking at this example I can compare it to the Leisure Centre in New Milton which is deliberately funded by the New Forest District Council to provide activities for...