Categories of place

Question 1

What are the four categories of place?

Answer 1

Near places
Far places
Experienced places
Media places

Question 2

What are the two key meanings that near and far could have in terms of place?

Answer 2

• They could refer to the geographical distance between places.
• They could refer to the emotional connection with a particular place and how comfortable a person feels within that plac

Question 3

True or false: near places automatically foster identities of familiarity and belonging.

Answer 3

This is false, just because a place is near doesn’t mean that a person automatically fosters identities of familiarity towards it.

Question 4

Why may far places feel more familiar or comfortable?

Answer 4

This is because of globalised culture, travel and media.

Question 5

What is meant by time-space convergence?

Answer 5

This is the idea that distances between two locations have decreased due to developments in transport and communication.

Question 6

What are experienced places?

Answer 6

These are places that a person has spent time in.

Question 7

What are media places?

Answer 7

• These are places that a person has only read about or seen on TV or film
• The reality of a place could be different to that put across by the media

Question 8

How does the media portray rural places?

Answer 8

Ideal
Peaceful
Green
Aesthetic
Relaxing
Few problems
Close-knit community 
Healthy

Question 9

What is the reality of these rural places?

Answer 9

Unemployment
Underemployment
Lack of affordable housing
Reduced transport
Homelessness

Question 10

How does the media portray urban areas?

Answer 10

Economic and social deprivation
Pollution
Social deprivation
Homelessness
Crime
Vandalism

Question 11

What is the reality like for urban areas?

Answer 11

Pollution
Rich/poor divide
Attractive city living

Question 12

How can an area be both near and far?

Answer 12

It can be geographically far but the person may have visited it numerous times.

Question 13

What turns undifferentiated space into place?

Answer 13

• Experience

- Undifferentiated space is a space that a person only has a vague idea about.

Question 14

Why do we often chose to revisit places?

Answer 14

This is because we like them and feel comfortable there.

Question 15

Do places that have meaning to us always have to be associated with positive feelings?

Answer 15

No, they can be associated with negative feelings too.

Question 16

What is topophobia?

Answer 16

This is fear of place.

Question 17

Give an example of a place that can evoke mixed feelings?

Answer 17

Auschwitz would provoke topophobia in many people but also fascinate the many visitors that visit each year.

Question 18

What feeling does the media reinforce in terms of the countryside?

Answer 18

Nostalgia

Question 19

Who do the problems in rural areas mainly affect?

Answer 19

Low income households.

Question 20

What has made urban areas more attractive in recent years?

Answer 20

Successful regeneration

Question 21

What is it wrong to assume?

Answer 21

That all cities are the same.

Question 22

How does the media often portray villages?

Answer 22

The media often portrays villages in a negative way, despite them being very different.