This thesis examines the regeneration of an established neighbourhood community, asubject of close scrutiny by both the media and local authorities. The overall aim ofthis research is to provide a contemporary consumer perspective of gentrification byexploring the lived experience of vulnerable consumers who reside in an area ofcomplex transience and temporality. Grounded within Consumer Culture Theory(CCT) this research incorporates literature streams from communities of consumption,place literature and consumer vulnerability. Previous research on consumption communities has focused on the brands and products that bring these people together, however, this research gleans the lessons learned from such studies and applies this theory to the traditional neighbourhood community. In addition to consumer research, literature surveying urban regeneration, housing studies and gentrification is explored. As its research context: Raploch, Stirling provides the backdrop for this ethnography as it is consistently placed in the bottom 5% of deprived areas in Scotland. Given its prominence in the Scottish media and vibrant historical background, Raploch amalgamates numerous characteristics of contemporary urban regeneration projects. At its core this thesis makes four key contributions to knowledge; firstly, it compares the real and imagined lived experience of residents and outsiders and how these perceptions are shaped by the representations from the media and the wider city population. Secondly, it examines a consumption community brought together by geographic location and third place attachment rather than brands, products or services. Thirdly, through the changes in the physical community and new residents entering the neighbourhood, the collective and spatial vulnerability of Raploch and its residents is explored. Lastly, this thesis considers the gentrification process in this area and concludes that it must be reconceptualised to fully explain contexts where land is not a limited resource and development projects where social housing stock is compulsory.
| Date of Award | 6 Aug 2018 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution | - University Of Strathclyde
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| Sponsors | University of Strathclyde |
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| Supervisor | Paul Hewer (Supervisor) & Kathy Hamilton (Supervisor) |
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