The ‘Rivergate Night Market Collective’ is a community group made up of stallholders, performers, volunteers and regular attendees who gather every Friday night along a riverside promenade in an outer-suburban municipality. The market began informally during the COVID-19 period as a way for local micro-businesses and neighbours to reconnect, and it has since become a weekly tradition.
Over the past year, several changes have occurred. A rise in insurance and security costs has forced organisers to introduce a \$25 weekly stall fee, and some lower-income stallholders have stopped attending. At the same time, a new light-rail stop has opened 900 metres away, improving access for visitors from other suburbs, but the promenade has limited lighting and the nearest public toilets are a 12-minute walk.
Politically, the local council has introduced a new ‘Safe Events’ policy requiring ID checks after 9:00 pm and restricting amplified music. Council argues this is necessary after complaints from nearby apartment residents. Socially, the market has become popular on social media, attracting visitors who attend mainly for photos and short stays; long-term members report that interactions feel “less personal” and that newcomers “don’t know the unwritten rules”.
A student researcher is considering whether the Rivergate Night Market Collective is experiencing a weakened sense of community, or a different type of community experience emerging.
c. Assess the extent to which the Rivergate Night Market Collective is likely to be experiencing a weakened sense of community rather than a reconfigured community experience. Use evidence from at least two different factor types (economic, social, political, geographical) to justify your judgment.
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Create Free Account Log inThis is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Sociology practice question worth 10 marks, testing your understanding of Economic/social/political/geographical effects. It falls under Community in Unit 4: Community, social movements and social change. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.
In this unit, students explore the ways sociologists have thought about the idea of community and how various types of community are experienced. They examine the relationship between social movements and social change, including the nature, purpose, power, and outcomes of social movements.
Students examine the changing definitions and experiences of community, including the theories of Ferdinand Tonnies and Michel Maffesoli. They analyse factors influencing belonging, the impact of technology, economic, social, political, and geographical factors, and evaluate a specific community experience, considering ethical research methodology.
the effects of economic, social and political factors, and of geographical characteristics
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