How a space becomes a ‘place’. (place as a social construction)
Spaces are a combination of physical, social, and psychological elements within a given area. They form by routinely behaviours and repetitive actions taken place within. Places, are especially good spaces where psychological construction through spacing, goods, people..etc occurs successfully. They are more of a social phenomenon rather than a physical one because of the fundamental role of senses, perception and relations between humans and non-human elements, in this process of formation.
Embodiment of ‘human qualities’ in tangible materials of large scale which reflects humans. There is a dialectical relationship between the inhabitants of a space and the space itself. It
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Meanings, definitions and experiences of interpreted by people within a space, through their embedded narration in that space by various means is essential for this transformation. Space metamorphose to place, when it is enhanced by experiences and moments - taking a lived form of entity. This transformation happens by building up a meaning and definition relating to the space and “it is interpretation and narrative that gives identity and it is identity that transforms space into place” (Hague & Jenkins, 2005, p. 4, 5). Place and identity are in close relation which makes it vital to understand formation of …show more content…
Display, researchers have documented how people use places to communicate qualities of the self to self or other. Example: given the emphasis on individualism in American society, middle-class individuals frequently personalize domestic environments to express their personhood as unique selves (Altman and Chemers 1980; Duncan 1982; Hummon 1989) Affiliation, people use places to forge a sense of attachment or home. Such identification with place often involves emotional ties to place, but it may also involve a sense of shared interests and values. This identification with place is often experienced as a sense of being “at home”- of being comfortable, familiar, and “really me” here (Relph 1976; Rowles 1983; Seamon 1979). In either case, place identities affiliate the self with significant locales, bringing a sense of belonging and order to one’s sociospatial world.
Each person has a place that calls to them, a house, plot of land, town, a place that one can call home. It fundamentally changes a person, becoming a part of who they are. The old summer cabins, the bedroom that was always comfortable, the library that always had a good book ready. The places that inspire a sense of nostalgic happiness, a place where nothing can go wrong.
An individual’s ‘Sense of Place’ is predominantly their place of belonging and acceptance in the world, may it be through a strong physical, emotional or spiritual connection. In Tim Winton’s novel ‘The Riders”, the concept of Sense of Place is explored through the desperate journey of its protagonist, Fred Scully. Scully’s elaborate search for identity throughout the novel is guided and influenced by the compulsive love he feels for his wife Jennifer and their family morals, the intensity of hope and the destruction it can cause and the nostalgic nature of Winton’s writing. Two quotes which reflect the ideals of a person’s Sense of Place are “Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.’(Aldous Huxley) and “It is not down in any map. True places never are.” (Herman Melville). Huxley and Melville’s statements closely resemble Fred Scully’s journey and rectify some of his motivations throughout the text.
Home is experienced in a multitude of ways using our senses. Impressions of our past and present homes materialize from a familiar smell, sight, feeling, taste or sound. We all live in a multi-sensory environment, where we can use one or more of our senses on a daily basis to absorb our surroundings. However, it is easily arguable that although each sense can conjure up a memory, or imprint a grasp of where we live or lived, certain senses are stronger with the recollection or the feelings we have of our home. If we live in the same home as other people, some of us will associate a certain smell to the home, while others will not; or a sound, etc., that I would not associate with that home. I will be pursuing the reasons why we absorb our environments
Sociology is very complicated, it’s full of terms that can be misinterpreted. For example, social location is interpreted several ways. The most common it the assumption that it’s where you live, in actuality, it’s who you are, your social class, education, gender, race, ethnicity, and the culture. Your social location is affected, by sociological perspective, Henslin (2015) notes, “sociological perspective which stresses the social contexts where people live” (p. 2). As humans, we have to overcome social challenges every day some of us more than other.
Belonging is a fluid concept that adapts and shifts within a person’s lifetime. It is subjective and can encourage feelings of security, happiness and acceptance or conversely alienation and dislocation. One's perception of belonging, and therefore identity, is significantly influenced by place and relationships established within one's environment. This is evident in Steven Herrick's free verse novel “The Simple Gift” and the short story “The River that wasn’t ours” by Ashley Reynolds.
Man is constantly in a battle over physical space. Physical space has the ability to define many things in a person’s life. Where a person lives, has the ability to dictate their everyday life. Literature in particular, is obsessed with the idea of physical space. The physical space that an author presents in a story has the ability to create much more than a setting.
A sense of place is the ideology that people possess when they feel that they belong to a given surrounding. Therefore, through their existence and a sense of belonging on a given environment, people do tend to have a special connection with their immediate surroundings, and therefore, they will do everything to protect their habitat. This, in a sense, is instrumental in affecting the positionality of people with such belonging to one given
Adrienne Rich once wrote an open letter titled “Politics of Location” that profoundly opened my eyes to a relevantly obvious concept of self-identity. More often than not, one fails to see the truth that sits right before his or her own eyes. However, it is still the responsibility of the individual to be accountable for that truth. The concept of politics of location is simply that one’s life experiences affects one’s perspective. Unintentionally, individuals make themselves the center of reality. When, in actuality, one is only the center of his or her own reality. Rich also goes on to explain that people are different; yet, individuals have an uncanny since of imagined community. That being, the feeling that
Irwin, Mary. “Sense of Place”. Interview by Interview by Mrs. Thibo’s H-English 10 class. 12 May 2010.
and places, and it is its places we are looking at. Places are used by
2014). Places organize our experience of the world and manage our relationship with other people.
Globally, different spaces mean different things to different people. Based on their background or childhood experiences, a certain space can hold different meanings. To some people, a place like church might represent strength, faith or love, but to others that same church might represent more negative values like colonialism or repression, especially if they have had bad experiences with church or religion. Growing up, one of the most unique and important places for me was a place in West Side Long Beach called Hudson park. Hudson park was where I practiced football, but it also was more than that.
People perceive places in very different ways, because the meaning that they give to a location which makes it a place is unique to them. No one has exactly the same experiences or background that contributes to their identity, so no one can give the same meaning to a place, or perceive it in exactly the same way. Identity is the main factor that contributes to how we all view places, however emotional attachment (which stems from this) is also very important. In addition to these, globalisation (the increased mobility of goods and services as well as people and knowledge) and the migration it can result in have the potential to be a huge force in shaping place perception, in very positive or negative ways. While group’s perception of a place can often be very similar, it is likely to be very different to another distinct group’s, and on a personal scale there will always be differences due to no person being identical to another.
A place, for me, is somewhere that I am familiar with and I recognize it in some way as my own special geographic location. It is somewhere I am emotionally attached to and it is a place that I wish to remain at. I personally feel that it has taken me years to achieve this particular comprehension about where for certain that place is for me in my life, and to make out why I feel a certain way about being within the walls of my own home. I have now come to realize that my home is where my heart will always truly be, because I believe it is the only place where I will always be loved without