5.1 Flashcards
Characteristics that make up the identity of a place
. Physical geography
. Demography
. Socio-economic
. Cultural
. Political
. Built government
Lympstone, East Devon
Lympstone is a small settlement on the east bank of the River Exe estuary, approximately 15 km south of Exeter.
Toxteth, Liverpool
Toxteth is part of inner Liverpool, about 1.5 km south of the city centre.
Lympstone, East Devon natural characteristics
Lympstone occupies a small valley . A small beach of pebbles and gravel runs along the foot of the cliff.
Toxteth, Liverpool natural characteristics
Toxteth occupies undulating land rising up from the banks of the River Mersey.
The Mersey is fast flowing past Toxteth as its channel narrows before passing into Liverpool Bay, so there is little foreshore at Toxteth
Lympstone, Before 19th Century
Lympstone was established by the Saxons having forced out the original Celtic Inhabitants
Lympstone 19th Century
Into the 19th Century, Lympstone thrived with shipbuilding.
-In the 1840s, considerable numbers of wealthy families from Exeter and East Devon enjoyed the novelty of being ‘by the sea’. Lympstone remained a small village
Toxteth Before 18th Century
In the early thirteenth century King John made it part of a large royal hunting forest.
It remained a fenced-off forest for around 300 years.
Toxteth 18th Century
. Copper works were established in 1772 and later a ceramics factory.
. Industries such as flour milling and brewing developed to serve a rapidly growing population.
. Shipping industry and residential development emerged.
Toxteth 19th Century
The middle class relocated to Greenfield sites on the edge of the built area as disposable incomes increased.
Toxteth 20th Century
In the 150 years following the previous epochs, Toxteth changed from a small rural community to an inner city suburb in a large metropolitan area
Original rural features such as fields and hedgerows were replaced by the built environment with just the rise and fall of the ground evident in the streets.
Time space compression
Through processes such as globalisation time is accelerated and the significance of space is reduced.
Globalisation
The increasing integration of economies and societies and breaking down of traditional barriers around the world allowing movement of goods, capital, people and information.
Lympstone, East Devon and Toxteth, Liverpool - The demographic face of a local place comparison
The demographic profiles of the communities living in Lympstone and Toxteth are quite different. Lympstone has a top-heavy age structure whereas Toxteth has fewer elderly residents, with the majority of its residents aged between 16 and 64.
It has significantly fewer children than Lympstone. The ethnic profile of the two places helps us to understand how migrations have altered each place.
What is meant by ‘place’?
A place can have an objective meaning: something that just is, such as an address, or a set of map co-ordinates. But it can also have a subjective meaning: some aspect of a place that humans have added for whatever reason.
Example - What is meant by ‘place’?
10 Downing Street is a fixed location that can be plotted exactly on a map. However, it is also the official residence for the Prime Minister of the UK. As such it represents the focus of political power so has meaning in terms of how this country is governed. It also has a political meaning internationally as heads of government from overseas visit the PM there.
What is meant by ‘space’?
‘Space’ is different from ‘place’. Space exists between places and does not have the meanings that places do. However, one person’s ‘space’ might be another person’s ‘place’, e.g. The North Atlantic Ocean is a workplace to deep-sea fishermen.
The perception of place
We do not see the world around us in the same way as others. How we experience the world influences our perceptions of it.
Factors influencing perceptions
-Age
-Gender
-Sexuality
-Religion
-Role
Factors influencing perceptions definition
Perception is an individual thing so people’s personal characteristics influence how they see the world. Key factors that influence perceptions can include age, gender, sexuality, religion and role in society.
This last factor is closely related to education and socio-economic status.
Age (Factors influencing perceptions)
People’s perceptions change as they get older. Think of how perceptions of the same place, a local park for example, might alter through time. Page 148.
Many people move through a ‘life cycle’ that involves changing their residence and therefore where they might live.
Life cycle
The process that involves changing their residence and therefore where they might live. Such moves are often associated with changes to income or family size.
Gender (Factors influencing perceptions)
In different societies, the roles men and women have are reflected in the way the two groups can move around and the types of places they can use.
Traditionally, many places have been defined as being ‘male’ or ‘female’.
Sexuality (Factors influencing perceptions)
Sexuality can influence the way in which people use places. As the acceptance of different sexual orientations becomes more widespread, some places acquire a meaning because they are where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups (LGBT) tend to cluster.
