A coastal Victorian town has a long-running community group called Harbour Hands, formed 40 years ago to coordinate beach clean-ups and emergency support during storms. In the past two years, the town has experienced rapid change: short-term holiday rentals have increased, a new wind-farm construction project has brought in fly-in/fly-out workers, and mobile reception has improved enough for residents to rely heavily on group chats rather than face-to-face meetings.
Harbour Hands now uses a private messaging app for most coordination. Some long-term members say the group has become “less local” and complain that newer participants “don’t understand how things are done here”. Some newer members report they feel welcome online but uncomfortable at in-person events because they are not recognised, do not know local families, and cannot attend weekday activities due to work and transport constraints. The local council is considering whether to fund Harbour Hands to expand activities, but it wants evidence-based recommendations that improve belonging across different groups in the town.
a. Distinguish between two different categories of factors (chosen from: social, economic, political, geographical, technological) that are influencing feelings of belonging in Harbour Hands. Use one specific detail from the scenario for each category.
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Create Free Account Log inThis is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Sociology practice question worth 4 marks, testing your understanding of Belonging factors. 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.
factors that influence feelings of belonging
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