CONCEPT OF PLACE

• A location is the physical point of where a place is
• A place is a location with various meanings
• Locales are located in a place where everyday activities take place e.g school , church or sports ground
• A locale structures social interactions and people are more likely to show behavioral traits specific to a locale
• example of behavioral traits in a locale:

  • people will be sociable in a sports ground but will speak more quietly in a library to conform with social stereotypes
• conforming with social stereotypes = may occur subconsciously
• Sense of place = subjective emotional attachment to a place
• sense of place = your feeling towards your house , street or neighbourhood
• insider perspectives develop through everyday experiences in familiar settings , based on experiences acquired over time e.g socialising at the village pub
• outsider perspectives - from outside a place e.g tourists or a visit to a near or distant place
• topophilia - love of a place e.g home or school
• tophobia - fear/dislike towards a place e.g the dentist
• YI-Fu Tuan:

  • more experiences in a place , more attached to a place. Greater intensity + number of experience = greater attachment to a place
• placelessness : a place that isn't unique.

  • e.g most UK highstreets have similar shops such as Gregs, Tesco etc...
  • Clone town = dominance of chain shops. Due to globalisation
• 4 categories of place:

  • near places
  • far places
  • media places
  • experienced places
• near places:

  • geographically close to where someone live
  • subjective
  • people may feel excluded due to age , class, gender , sexuality
• far places:

  • distant from where a person lives
  • more likely to feel like an outsider in a far place
  • people may feel emotionally far away e.g homesickness
• how has globalisation made people more closely connected?

  • travel improvements make people seem closer
  • people travel more frequently
  • people remain more closely connected to places that are geographically far away
• experienced places:

  • place that a person has spent time in
  • when a person visits or lives in a place their experiences shape their sense of place
  • can generate topophila + tophobia
• media places:

  • places people haven't been to but have created a sense of place through their depiction of media (e.g books, arts and films)
• examples of media places:

  • hogwarts
  • Naria
  • tripadvisor places
• how can media present a place?

  • media can present a place in a particular way and for particular purpose
  • holiday sites may present the Caribbean as a place of relaxation but for its citizens it is a place of hardship and poverty
• endogenous factors that shape a place

  • location
  • topography
  • physical geography
  • land use
  • built environment
  • demographic characteristics
• endogenous factor - location

  • refers to where a place is e.g on the coast or inland
  • places can be characterised by the features that are present because of their location e.g a coastal place can be characterised as a port due it's direct proximity to the sea
• endogenous factor - topography

  • places can be characterised directly by their topography e.g in a mountainous region - places would be characterised by steep slopes
  • also affects other factors that give place character e.g flat places would be suitable for large-scale arable farming
• endogenous factors - physical geography

  • refers to the environmental features of the place e.g altitude , soil and rock type
  • places can be characterised directly by their physical geography e.g a place can have sedimentary or metamorphic rocks which form different landscapes
  • can also affect economic characteristics - a place rich in natural resources e.g iron or coal can be characterised by the industries that exist there e.g mining
• endogenous factors - land use


  • refers to human activities that occur on the land e.g farming , industry , leisure
  • can define the character of a place e.g - rural area would have lots of farming , urban area - lots of commercial businesses
  • affects other factors e.g