Abstract This research report attempts to examine how the story of gold, and gold mining, is told, and is being retold, at both the Victorian- themed Gold Reef City theme park and in within the Main Street mining precinct in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD). The report will therefore look at how imbued ideologies have resulted in a particular formation of the mining heritage shown in both themed spaces. Works by de Certeau (1988) and Eco (1990), for example, form a framework for academic discourse around practiced space within the ‘city’, and the nature of hyperreality. Overall, and including results from participant observation at the theme park, and sample surveys undertaken in the Main Street precinct, one is able to better attempt an understanding of how the story of gold at both sites has been created by certain ideologies, and examine them in light Johannesburg’s changing persona in light of global influences.

The aim of this study is to contribute to the urban social movement literature of Turkey which is lacking particularly for &ldquo / gecekondu resistance&rdquo / and to reveal and study the gecekondu resistance as a grassroots movement against the demolition of gecekondus, in the name of urban renewal projects in Istanbul, especially since 2004. It also investigates the &ldquo / urban social movement&rdquo / concept whose meaning is under discussion in the literature due to its usage in different aspects of resistance in the urban area. The literature review focuses mainly on the production of space, focusing particularly on urban renewal, urban resistance and social movements especially reflecting on the theoretical perspectives of prominent scholars like Lefebvre and Castells. The research focuses on neighborhood resistance in gecekondu areas / however in an attempt to make a categorization of ways of urban resistance in Istanbul. This thesis is based upon the field study pursued in the period between January and October 2006, in G&uuml / zeltepe neighborhood, in Ey&uuml / p, being a remarkable example of resistance for various reasons which will be elaborated in the thesis. G&uuml / zeltepe which is a part of the urban renewal project in Istanbul is investigated with participant observation and in-depth interviews comprising people both participating directly in the resistance and &ldquo / ordinary&rdquo / dwellers, who do not have political affiliations. The study is supported by a systematic analysis of representations of gecekondu resistance and its demolition in the Turkish press, from July 2005 until August 2006.