Tma_01_Dd101

DD101 TMA 01 In light of the module resources that I have reviewed relating to City Road, I am going to illustrate a number of ways in which differences are made and remade on a street I know. In particular, I am going to look at: • How local shops have been affected when larger competitors move to the area. • How entertainment varies to cater for different ages, cultures, etc. • How age and time takes its toll on society. The Street I have selected to examine alongside City Road is Bancroft in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Bancroft is on a reduced scale when you compare the two roads collectively, yet each road has so many similarities as well as so many differences. My Intention at this stage is to focus on day to day operations of Bancroft and further investigate social differences that determine how Bancroft is made and remade, whilst comparing these differences with City Road. City Road concentrates on Restaurants and Takeaways, whereas Bancroft favours towards Coffee Shops and Bistro’s. When investigating Bancroft deeper, I observed that there were numerous Banks, Charity Shops and several privately owned businesses, most of which has had long presence on Bancroft. The first way in which I would like to demonstrate how Bancroft has been made and remade is, in as much the same as Colin the Newsagent (Making Social lives DVD, The Open University, 2009). When the introduction of a larger Supermarket was introduced on to Bancroft, the 3rd Supermarket within a mile umbrella, various smaller stores were obliged to close down. Most of the destruction was done within around 18 months of Sainsbury’s opening up. Prior to Sainsbury’s opening up on Bancroft, most people were not happy that the store would be moving to the region being as there was two other competitor stores locally and 2 other Sainsbury stores located within 4 miles of Hitchin Town Centre. People’s attitudes have improved considerably since the opening of the store as Sainsbury is the cheaper store out of the two competitor stores “Waitrose” and “Marks and Spencer’s”. Bancroft is the home of the Bancroft Players, who were established as a local drama group at the end of the 2nd World War; however their reputation was so impressive that they required sizeable premises to capture the ever increasing audiences. In 1983 they moved to a purpose built venue, which is known in the area as “The Queen Mother Theatre”. Many of the shows they have on offer at the Theatre are aimed at those who are middle to higher class. They are known locally for their excellence in the Amateur Dramatics Industry. Moving further along Bancroft, you have Nightclubs and Bars that cater for younger people who either work or study in the vicinity. I see this in much the same light as I see Dan Mitchell (Making Social Lives, DVD, The Open University, 2009). Different parts of The Street offering alternate entertainment for different ages, cultures, etc. of people who use City Road. Changes over a period of time can also make and remake differences. A public house on Bancroft has over time targeted a younger group of customers. Whereas once they targeted the elderly person, it has now gradually changed the type of customers. The way in which people now see the area and the pub has changed completely too. People deem it as unsafe, even more so at night times when there can be nuisance and hassle. This is very much the outlooks of the young girl who was playing snooker and the elderly gentlemen at the gentlemen’s club (Making Social Lives DVD, The Open University, 2009). The men were discussing how over time the area has fallen from being a vibrant community to one that is not even safe to walk 300m down the road. Another example of how time has played a part in which differences are made and remade in Bancroft is that Bancroft its self was once host to the local Market, however due to traffic in the form of Horse Drawn Carriages being permitted to use Bancroft as a right of way, the Market was forced to move to a new and more appropriate location by the church. The Cobbled Street was not suitable or wide enough for motor vehicles, so again over time a tarmac dual road was formed. This can be compared to Jose Ramos (Making Social Lives DVD, 2009, Scene 5). As Georgina Blakely Et al pointed out (Introducing Social Sciences, Learning Companion 1), with the constant shaping and reshaping of society, there are always some who win and some who lose which in turn brings with it new inequalities and differences to society. References (Making Social lives DVD, The Open University, 2009) (Making Social Lives DVD, The Open University, 2009, Scene 5). (Georgina Blakely et al, Introducing Social Sciences, Learning Companion 1) What I have found interesting about this assignment is that it enables me automatically look deeper in to society to appreciate things in finer detail, like the restaurant I eat in, the supermarket I buy food from etc. What I found difficult about the assignment was once I had collated the material for TMA 01, was then putting it together in to an understandable and enjoyable format to read.