Changing Places - Complete

• Place definition


  a location with meaning
• places can have different meanings

  personal

  economics

  political

  cultural
• space definition


  the physical location that a place is
• what did Massey say about place: that it is time and space come together
• three aspects of a place: Location, locale and sense of place
• locale: the effect that people have on the setting, it is shaped by the people, cultures and customs with i
• is locale always tied to a physical location: no it is tied to anything that structures interactive, e.g. an Internet forum
• sense of place: the subjective and emotional attachment to a place, which is different for each individual and each perspective
• theoretical approaches to place: - descriptive approach

  - social constructionist approach

  - phenomenological approach
• descriptive approach: the idea that the world is a set of places and each place can be studied and is distinct
• social constructionist approach: sees a place as a product of a particular set of social processes occurring at a particular time
• phenomenological approach: isn't interested on why or how a place was constructed, but more about how an individual experiences a place and recognises the highly personal relationships between a person and a place
• placemaking: the deliberate shaping of an environment to facilitate social interaction and improve a community's quality of life
• scales where identity is evident

  localism

  regionalism

  nationalism
• localism: the affect for or emotional ownership for a particular place. rarely seen in a political sense but seen in nimbyism
• nimbyism: not in my backyard, the protesting of developments in local areas
• regionalism: consciousness of and the loyal to a distinct region with a population that shares similarities
• nationalism: loyalty and devotion to a nation. creates a sense of national consciousness. patriotism could be seen as an example of sense of place
• why do people identify with their local place or community? due to a greater knowledge of this area and people. this has led to calls for more regional governments.
• what strengthens nationalism?


  common language, national anthem, flag
• how can religion foster a sense of identity? locally at places of worships, and on larger scales at sacred places/pilgirimage
• how is place shown politically? the occupy movement that campaigned against social and economic inequality by camping outside St Paul's cathedral, the financial heart of the city
• what is argued to have made 'place' less important? globalisation and it has eroded local cultures and produce homogenised places
• clone town: settlements where the high street is dominated by chain stores, creating a sense of placelesness
• example of resistance against clone towns: in 2012, people of totes petitioned agents the opening of a costa
• glocalisation: multinational companies increasingly having to adapt to the local market place
• examples of glocalisation: McDonalds creating beef (Hindu) and poor (muslim) free menus.
• what are the factors influencing a sense of place: age, gender, sexuality, socio-economic status, religion, level of education, race and ethnicity
• what is race: based on biological and physical characteristics such as skin colour
• what is ethnicity? belonging to a social group that has a common language and ancestry
• why have places become ethnically and culturally diverse? due to migration and globalisation
• example of multiculturalism within London: largest Chinese new year celebration outside of china

  ethnic clusters such as Chinatown and Banglatown
• how can people's sense of place create conflict? because people feel strongly about how they believe a place should be treated and how you should act.
• example of sense of place creating conflict: Yolocaust - by Shakak Shapira who takes issues with people taking photos at the Berlin holocaust memorial
• what is the transition town movement? community projects that aim to increase self-sufficiency to reduce the potential impacts of chain stores e.g. peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability
• insider: the perspective of someone who knows a place well and is familiar with not only its topography but its daily rhythms and events
• outsider: the perspective of someone who does not know a place well or someone who is marginalised in a community
• how do insiders feel? at home, strong relationship with a place. may be born in the country, speaks the language, holds the passport
• how do outsiders feel? likely to feel alienated they may have immigrant status, not speak the language, do not understand social norms
• what are places shaped by? the people who live there