How do we understand place 5.2 Flashcards
What factors influence perception of place?
Age, Gender, Sexuality, Religion and Role
How can age influence perception of place?
People move through a life cycle with involves changing their residence and therefore where they might live. Such moves are often associated with changes to income or family size. When a young person leave homes to set up their first independent household they usually have limited income and do not need much living space so they often live in rented accommodations close to a city centre.
On the other hand, a couple with children may buy a larger house with a garden in the suburbs. In retirement the need for accommodation is reduced and people may regard peace and quiet as a priority
Give an example of how age influences perception of places?
A five year old may see the park as a place to have fun by playing on swings etc, but teenagers may use it for different recreational activities
Revisiting a location e.g. a holiday venue may influence perception e.g geographical features such as mountains or beaches are appreciated rather than playgrounds or themeparks
How does gender influence perception of place?
Traditionally many places have been defined as being “male” or “female”. A division along gender lines has been apparent in the separation of public and private places. Stereotypical image of women’s place being the home. Past photographs illustrate differences in woman’s and male participation in sporting events.
Perceptions can be influenced by role
Safety, can influence mental maps of places and decisions about where they would go. Women may avoid certain neighbourhoods or being out at night in the dark. Late night public transport may represent a “geography of fear”
How does sexuality influence perception of places?
Can influence the way people use places. Some places acquire meaning because they are where certain sexualities gather. Some researchers have seen similarities between the emergence of these places and the emergence of ghettos.
Economic aspect to the emergence of places defined on the basis of sexuality. E.g. the “pink” pound is important in some locations
In some cities LGBTQ zones have been mapped and these areas tend to centre on concentrations of restaurants, bars and clubs which are “gay friendly”
Give an example of how sexuality influences perception of places
San Fransisco has urban LGBT neighbourhoods which express themselves in political power thus to gain opportunities to express themselves and have an influence over decision making. The election of LGBT local councillors is seen as important in creating a strong sense of place for San Francisco’s LGBT community.
Areas centred on gay bars or restaurants or clubs include the Castro District in San Fransisco and the “Gay Village” in Manchester. The south coast of Brighton has acquired an image as the LGBT capital of the UK
How does religion influence peoples perception of place?
People have given places spiritual meaning for millennia. Some natural landscape features are sacred to certain groups e.g. the Ayers Rock in Australia has a major role in Aboriginal creation stories. People have given places spiritual meaning through buildings.
Religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam have given places meaning through building of synagogues, mosques and churches.
Many religious places are associated with refuge, peace and healing. People go to practise their religion at various shrines, wells and buildings
Give examples of how religions influences perception of place
Jerusalem; represents Judaism as The First Temple was built on the Temple Mount containing the stone tablets given to Moses by God on which were written the Ten Commandments. Most scared site for Judaism
Christianity as it is the site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Islam as it is the site of Muhammad’s “night journey
Lourdes in the Pyrenees is associated with healing, 6 million pilgrims visits each year.
How does role influence perceptions of place?
The role we have can influence our perceptions of our location and how we behave. As we go through life we gain and lose roles and our attitudes change.
Role influences perception of fear, insecurity etc and then are reflected in boundaries which are used to exclude people. E.g. as British towns and cities grew rapidly during the nineteenth century many developments tried to exclude certain people from living in them. In this way some landowners and developers tried to sustain a high socio-economic status for their developments
During the past 40 years gated communities have become more common.
What are gated communities?
High value properties which are “defended” by secure boundaries and controlled access points
Give examples of how role can influence perceptions of places
Being a sixth former inside school/ with friends
Parent and perception of potential threats
Older age perception of accessibility may be more acute
What is the influence of emotional attachment to place?
Memory is a personal thing because experiences are unique. Positive experiences are likely to lead to strong emotional attachment.
Can also be attachment from groups such as sports fans and nations. Feeling part of a group can influence emotional attachment.
Describe the physical geography of Kurdistan
The present “heartland” of Kurdistan spread across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey
Describe the human geography of Kurdistan
Kurds are estimated to number to 30 million. Kurds have wanted their own independent state, they suffered persecution under Saddam Hussein and there is history of armed conflict with the Turkish police.
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is an organisation using armed conflict to bring about a Kurdish nation and is regarded as a terrorist group
How can globalisation and time-space compression influence a sense of place?
Communications and the flow of goods are quicker and more reliable Capital moves around the globe at the click of a key. More people travel further with increasing frequency.
Space is no longer such a barrier to communication and movement of people, goods ideas etc
Changes can also be disturbing as people no longer “feel at home”
