Changing Places Flashcards
What is place identity and what are the scales of place identity?
- Localism - an affinity for, or emotional ownership of a particular place. People may be reluctant to change - “nimbyism” (not in my backyard)
- Regionalism - consciousness of, and loyalty to a distinct region with a population that shares characteristics
- Nationalism - loyalty and devotion to a country which creates a sense of national consciousness eg. patriotism
What are the pros and cons of a strong place identity?
Positives
- stronger sense of community - more loyalty
- pride for local place - more incentive to take care of the environment
- outsiders will have a better perception , leads to more investment from businesses, more kids attending schools etc.
Negatives
- can create divisions ‘us vs them’ eg. North vs South - can be dangerous
- places become clone towns
- negative feelings towards people moving in - resentment between locals and newcomers
- can lead to extremism and dehumanisation
What is place belonging and give examples?
- to belong is to be a part of the community - one of the key factors that makes a place sustainable and successful
- can be influenced by a number of factors eg. gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity etc
- eg. sexuality - if people are accepting towards different sexualities, then sense of belonging will be higher, as they will feel more welcome and accepted into society. Eg. gay village in Manchester - allows people to express themselves
What are insider and outsider perspectives?
- an insider is the perspective of someone who knows a place well, and is familiar with not only the location, but also understands the events that happen there and the people that live there. They will have lived experience and the place will feel like ‘home’
- an outsider is someone who does not know a place well and lacks lived experience - they may not feel safe or accepted into society, or may have a greater affinity for another place
How might a local resident feel like an outsider?
- may have only recently moved in
- may have a greater sense of belonging elsewhere
- may not fit the demographic eg. sexuality, age, religion which makes people feel unwelcome
What is the concept of place?
- a location with meaning - not just a space or grid reference
- can be identified and is distinct from its surroundings
- creates an emotional response
- can be delineated (can be separated with boundaries drawn around it)
- made up of location, locale (setting where events take place) and sense of place
What is the importance of place and how does it relate to somebody’s identity?
- our attachment to places can be so strong that it forms a part of our identity
- can occur at different scales eg. regional or international
- more than one place can form a part of a person’s identity - dual nationality
What are near and far places?
- near places may be visited more frequently and therefore we may have greater experience of the place and form more of an attachment to it than far places
- however there are some places that are in close proximity, but are very different to our local place, and as such they may feel more distant or uncomfortable
- conversely some locations which are further away may feel more familiar, like a near place
- subjective because some places may feel near to some people and far to others
Why might far places feel ‘near’?
- similar demographic
- familiarity
- food
- culture
- language
What are topophilia and topophobia?
topophilia - place you have affection for
topophobia - place you have a distain for
What are experienced places?
Places where people have spent more time and have lived experience of. When a person lives in or visits a place their experiences will shape their sense of place
What are media places?
Places which you have not visited but have created a sense of place for them due to their depiction in the media eg. through books, movies, art, eg. Hogwarts
Why might different people have different perceptions of place?
- insider vs outsider perspectives
- media perceptions
- different lived experiences
- different demographic
What is place character?
- the features that help to distinguish it from another place
- can be physical or human
- can be social, economic, environmental or political
- can be endogenous or exogenous
- it is these factors combined that make a place unique and influence our sense of place
What are endogenous and exogenous factors?
Endogenous factors are those that originate internally within a place eg.
- land on which the place is built (height/relief/geology)
- land use/infrastructure/buildings
- type of people (age/ethnicity/wealth)
Exogenous factors are from external causes or origins eg.
- forces which have changed a place from the outside - local or national
- flows of people eg. tourists/migrants
- transport links
- resources, money and ideas
What factors might affect character of place and why?
- old population - decreased crime rates, services such as care homes/hospices, bungalows
- mountainous - less investment from government, increased transport links, lower access to services, different land-use eg. farming
- located close to a port - more external linkages, more migrants so more culturally and ethnically diverse, more investment
What are the main factors affecting character of place?
- physical geography eg. relief, altitude
- demographic eg. population size, ethnicity
- location eg. proximity to other places, urban or rural
- built environment - land use, type of housing
- political factors eg. strength of local councils
- socio-economic factors such as employment, education, health and income
How can place perception be manipulated?
- place marketing
- place rebranding
- place re-imaging
What is place marketing?
- marketing companies are employed by governments to improve/create positive perceptions
eg. the Quays website/Adrenaline valley
What is place rebranding?
- used to discard negative perceptions to make a location a desirable place to live - social and recreational opportunities and shop/spend money
- often done by locals - without a thorough understanding of a place it can be difficult to rebrand it
- some have driven away locals due to increasing house prices which favour affluent people
eg. Glasgow - £500,000 invested by the city council, renamed Glasgow: Scotland with style
