CHANGING PLACES

The nature and importance of places

Location - where a place is (coordinates)

Locale - Takes into account the effect that people have on their setting. Place is shaped by people.

Sense of Place - Subjective and emotional attachment people have to a place.

Theoretical approaches to place

Descriptive approach - World is a set of places and each place can be studied and is distinct

Social Constructionist approach - Sees place as a product of a particular set of social processes

Phenomenological approach - Not interested in the unique characteristics of a place or why it was constructed but how an individual person experiences place, recognising a highly personal relationship between place and person.

Tuan developed the term 'topophilia'.

Some overlap in the approaches.

The importance of place in human life and experience 

People define themselves through a sense of place and by living in place and carrying out a range of everyday practices there.

A person place relationship is developed.

People who like the countryside would tend to holiday in rural locations etc.

The importance of place can be explored by looking at identity, belonging and well-being.

The placemaking movement has a great emphasis on all 3 aspects.

Identity

Place can be critical to the construction of identity (e.g sense of place developed in relation to our own home and local geographical area)

Localism - Affection for or ownership of a particular place - manifests itself in a polical sense but can be demonstrated in 'nimbyism' when people are reluctant to have their local area affected

Regionalism - Consciousness of, and loyalty to a distinct region with a population that shares similarities

Nationalism -  Loyalty and devotion to a nation (patriotism)

People identify more with their local place or community as they have greater knowledge of this area.

Cornwall's Mebyon Kernow party are leading the campaign for the creation of a National Assembly for Cornwall.

People identify with place at a national level which is strengthened by a common language, national anthem, flag and cultural and sporting events.

Religion allows people to come together to worship.

Power of place in political protest

Global sense of place

Doreen Massey argued places are dynamic with multiple identities that do not have to have boundaries and that character of place can only be seen and understood by linking that place to places beyond.

Globalisation of place

Globalisation has made place less important.

Forces of global capitalism have eroded and produced identical or homogenised places. Seen in the increased presence of chain stores.

James Kunstler argues that 'every place is like no place in particular' 

Clone towns

Placelessness

Local places and cultures are resisting the power of globalisation (e.g anti - Costa campaign in Totness, Devon 2012)

Glocalisation has forced chain stores such as McDonalds to adapt its brand to the local market

Localisation of place

Place has become a political symbol for people fighting against global capitalism.

Focus on 'local' place.

Totnes have introduced a local currency with the aim of encouraging people…