Place And Identity Paper

Place and identity are often perceived as exemplifying aspects when discussing oneself and others. They both represent important parts of a community or an individual. A place is a region or area that is normally occupied but is still somewhat distinctive. In comparison, identity is who or what someone is by connecting to their distinguishable qualities. These two pieces are crucial to self-discovery and understanding other people and cultures. This essay will discuss three contexts places are perceived and valued on, the legal and social significance of identity, and how place identity has emphasise the relationship between place and identity.

Places can have multiple meaning and value depending on the perspective it is viewed from (Massey as cited in Kaplan & Recoquillon, 2014). It can be valued for its’ mythical and historical background, its’ physical and architectural state, and the environmental role it plays in the lives of most people. According to Margaret Somerville (2013) the continent of Australia was created and shaped by two sisters who travelled around its’ perimeters. These mythical stories were established to fit the landscape and to create a visual narrative of Australia. In addition to these mythical

People often “see or identify themselves with reference to the physical environment” (Marcouyeux & Fleuri-Bahi as cited in Azmi et al., 2014, p5) this is referred to as place identity. The theoretical and social reflection on place identity have highlighted he relationship between place and identity. Places have always been perceived as locations that has meanings and is a place where experiences are developed (Lengen . It “refers to the ways in which physical and symbolic to the ways in which physical and symbolic attributes of a certain location contribute to an individual’s sense of self or identity” (Proshanky et al., 1983 as cited in Devine-Wright,