‘Explain How a Sense of Place is Formed’ – 6 marks
Different factors contribute to form place, which is a location with a meaning.
These factors include location, locale and sense of place aka. place attachment.
Doreen Massey suggested that “a particular place… also contains historical
influences which shape the present”, because both space and time come
together in place. This shows that there is a difference between a space and a
place, because place has meaning and importance, whereas a space is
unfamiliar and is purely a physical location.
Multiple theoretical approaches can be applied when looking at developing
sense of place. One idea is that of Yi-Fu Tuan, who suggested an idea of
Topophilia, or sense of place. He theorised that “…place [is about] its
emotional tone, social meaning and generative potential”. This idea states that
places can affect individuals, as well as individuals having an effect on a place.
A more convincing argument, however, is that put forward by Edward Relph
who focuses on people’s identity of a place.
Relph says that a space becomes a place when people have experiences of it.
This leads to the development of a sense of place for individuals because place
attachment is the emotional bond between person and place, which is highly
influenced by personal experiences. Therefore, Relph’s Phenomenological
approach to studying place is the most relevant and convincing.
A sense of place can be developed through place attachment, such as having
memories of a place. This can be a positive or negative experience which
develops your connection to a place and, in my opinion, this is the most
important factor when developing a sense of place.
Different factors contribute to form place, which is a location with a meaning.
These factors include location, locale and sense of place aka. place attachment.
Doreen Massey suggested that “a particular place… also contains historical
influences which shape the present”, because both space and time come
together in place. This shows that there is a difference between a space and a
place, because place has meaning and importance, whereas a space is
unfamiliar and is purely a physical location.
Multiple theoretical approaches can be applied when looking at developing
sense of place. One idea is that of Yi-Fu Tuan, who suggested an idea of
Topophilia, or sense of place. He theorised that “…place [is about] its
emotional tone, social meaning and generative potential”. This idea states that
places can affect individuals, as well as individuals having an effect on a place.
A more convincing argument, however, is that put forward by Edward Relph
who focuses on people’s identity of a place.
Relph says that a space becomes a place when people have experiences of it.
This leads to the development of a sense of place for individuals because place
attachment is the emotional bond between person and place, which is highly
influenced by personal experiences. Therefore, Relph’s Phenomenological
approach to studying place is the most relevant and convincing.
A sense of place can be developed through place attachment, such as having
memories of a place. This can be a positive or negative experience which
develops your connection to a place and, in my opinion, this is the most
important factor when developing a sense of place.
