Module 2: Changing Places Flashcards
What is a place
A particular position, point or area in a space
What is a location
A position in abstract space relative to other geographical features coordinates. Eg/ country grid reference, nearby features
What is the meaning of a local
At an individual level personal and subjective emotion attachment at a social/cultural level and common meaning
What are the characteristics forming the identity of place
•social-economic
•political
•cultural
•demography
•built environment
•physical Geography
What is the concept of placeless ness
-some spaces, especially urban areas are becoming homogeneous (the same) due to the process of globalisation. This has created ‘clone towns’
What are clone towns
Clone towns are where there high street or other major shopping areas are significantly dominated by chain stores, making it indistinguishable from other town centres
How wide scale is the placelessness issue in the Uk
-42/103 towns in the Uk became clone towns
-many towns are turning into retail chains
What is the problem with clone towns
-loose sense of identity
-local businesses shut down
-over crowding of chain businesses
How/ why do humans perceive places in different ways: identity (localism and regionalism and nationalism)
-this can be seen at a number of scales
-localism: an affection or emotional ownership of a place. This could be through reading local newspapers, being a member of a local club.
-regionalism: loyalty to a region with a population that shares similarities (accent, wealth)
-nationalism: loyalty and devotion to a nation represented with patriotism (ukip/conservatives being dangerously patriotic)
How/ why do humans perceive places in different ways: belonging
This may be built on a number of factors including ethnicity, language, region and dialect
How/ why do humans perceive places in different ways: well-being
How does a place make you feel
-tropophilia: a strong attachment to a place
-topophobia: a dread or adverse reaction to a place
What is meant by perception
The way in which something/ somewhere is regarded, understood or interpreted
How are places perceived by different factors: gender
In different societies the role of men and women are reflected in the way the two groups can move around and the types of places they use
How are places perceived by different factors: religion
People have given places and spaces spiritual meanings for millennia and this affects peoples perception of these places eg/ Jerusalem, mecca, the river Ganges, the Vatican
How are places perceived by different factors: age
Peoples perception of place changes as they got older. The perception of a disco or nightclub will have different perceptions as age changes. This can alter the relative popularity of a place. Eg/ London may seem exciting to young people but could be deemed as dangerous and scary to older people
How are places perceived by different factors: sexuality
As the acceptance of different sexual orientations becomes more widespread, some places acquire a meaning because they are where LGBTQ groups tend to cluster
How are places perceived by different factors: role performed
Your role and the role of politics can have a huge impact on how you perceive a place
What is a life cycle in age
The progress of a person through various stages based on age and family unit form infancy to old age. Perception is relative to the stage that you are at
What is an insider perspective
-people who live in a place or visiting it often
-insiders have a strong relationship to a place they are familiar with. To be inside a place is to belong to and identify with it
-they underpin the subjectivity that is the basis for the sense of place of the community
What is an outsider perspective
-outsiders are the people who visit the place or who are new to the place
-their sense of place is more vague and abstract. Their view of entering a location or landscape and learning about that place
-they see things afresh and can recognise the notion of “feeling out of place”
How does the perception of a country differ from insiders to outsiders: insider
-born in or where their parents were
-permanent resident with a citizenship, they can work vote or claim benefits
-fluent in local language
-conform to local norms
-safe, secure, happy, feel at home
How does the perception of a country differ from insiders to outsiders: outsider
-not born in the country and are immigrant or their parents or grandparents are
-holds a foreign passport or visa, may be travelling for business in search of work or safety
-not fluent in the language as they don’t understand the local idioms
-frequently make misunderstanding social interactions
-feel homesick, Alienated or in exile
What are the 4 categories of place:
-near and far places
-experienced places and media places
-rural and urban places
-public and private places
What is a private and public place
Public: places which are connected with national history and art or state power. They are accessible to all
Private: places with which we are experienced with and with which we form attachments. They have a degree of intimacy, access is limited
What are near and far places
Near: are places considered as home that we know well and feel secure in. They have a sense of recognition, intimacy and belonging
Far: are those outside of our perceived comfort zone. They may be far both physically and culturally, people recognise the division between us and them
What are the agents of change in making the world feel smaller
-growth in strategies of transnational and multinational companies
-businesses have move abroad
-less protectionism: boarders have opened more and cheaper
-cars and roads open up in and between countries
-media, constant information from around the world
-quick contact to anyone anywhere
Are some sectors of society excluded form rural England?
-less then 1% of visitors to Uk national parto were black, Asian and minority ethnicity
-people feel that due to historic media representation means that they don’t want to spend leisure time in rural areas
What are experienced places
Places that you know and have visited some of these we may be very familiar with (work, local area, holiday resort) others less so visiting them only once or twice
What are media places
The impact of electronics means many people have no “sense of place” they occupy media places. Electronic media is undermining the traditional relationship between a physical and social setting. They have given different representations then the reality of the place
What is the meaning of the German word Gessilshaft
Urban extreme
-ever changing life of a large cosmopolitan commercial city
What is the meaning of the German word Gemeinshaft
Rural extreme
-unchanging peasant society, organised in small forward looking idyllic communities based on old fashioned support
Factors affecting the character of a place
-the character of a place is shaped by combination of physical geography aswell as demographic and economic factors
-physical Geography: relief, height, aspect, drainage ect
-demo and economics: levels of homeownership, ethnicity, age and employment
8 factors that affect the character of a place
-location: urban, rural, physical features, coastal
-physical Geography: relief, altitude, drainage, soil type
-socio economic factors: education, amentites, income and health ect
-demographic: population, ethnicity
-built in environment: land use, age, housing type, building materials.
-mobility of population: leisure, commuting
-political factors: local councils strength
-cultural factors: heritage, religion, language
How does physical geography shape places: what is geology
Underlying rock of an area can have a huge impact on the character of a place, both in its building materials and its perception
Demographic and economic characteristics shape places: what is dialect and accent
-accent: the way in which people in a particular area, country or social group pronounce words
-dialect: a particular form of a language which is particular to a specific region or social group
What is an endogenous factor
These are characterised of the place itself of factors which have originated internally. They are the local places and include location, topography, physical Geography, land use, built environment, infrastructure, and economic characteristics
What is an exogenous factors:
These exogenous factors involve the relationship with other places. They include the relationship of one place with other places and the external factors which affect this places do nto exits in dilation they are affected by external forces and factors. These factors have major impact upon a place. They include flows of money, people, culture and design.
What have geographers that include Doreen Massey and David Harvey suggested that all places are
-dynamic not static
-socially constructed
What does socially constructed mean
Social processes produce and reproduce the social and economic relations between different groups of people in society, in different locations. One aspect of this is place meaning. The dominant place meaning of a location may benefit dominant classes and the status quo
-idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society. Concept that exists not as an objective but as a human interaction.
What is representation
The cultural practices by which human societies interpret and portray the world around them and present themselves to others
What is identity
An assemblage of personal characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race and religion
What is belonging meaning
The feeling of being in possession of a set of values or a particular identity
What is ownership meaning
The feeling of being in possession of a set of values or a particular identity
What is the meaning of well-being
The positive outcome of a shared identity and a sense of belonging
What is rebranding
-re-imaging places using a variety of media to improve the image of both urban and rural locations and make them more attractive for potential investors
-external agencies and local communities attempt to influence or create specific place meaning in order to shape the actions of others
-new place meaning is given to a location and intents to influence peoples perception of a place
What is representation meaning
Is how a place is portrayed or seen in society
What is segregation
The action or state of setting someone or something apart from others
What is an enclave
A portion of territory surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct
What is racial integration
Includes goals such as levelling barriers to association, creating equal opportunities regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draw on diverse traditions, rather then merely Beijing a racial minority culture
What is racial disintegration
Is the tendency for society to decline or disintegrate over time. A growing segregation of races for example
How can a place be represented
-film
-song lyrics
-brochures
-plays
-adverts
-blogs
-novels
-paintings
