AQA A-level Changing Places Knowledge Booklet
The Nature and Importance of Places
1. The concept of place
● Location: the exact point of place (eg. coordinates)
● Locale: a setting of everyday life (eg. a school or park)
● Sense of place: the distinct nature and emotion connected to a place
There are scales of place that you can identify with
● Local-scale (eg. same school)
● Regional scale (eg. same accents)
● National scale (eg. same flag)
2. Insiders and Outsiders
● Insider: someone who feels familiar and comfortable with the surroundings
○ They have a sense of belonging
● Outsider: someone who has no connection or interaction within a place
○ These can be tourists or people who use a place as a bolt hole (commuters
who only use the solace to sleep)
NOTE: The idea was created byEdward Relph
3. Meaning and Perception of Place
● Factors affecting the perception of place:
○ Age - for a young person an apartment in the city is considered modern,
well-connected etc. but for an elderly person it can be lonely
○ Gender - for males a park at night can be considered fun but for females it
can be unsafe
○ Ethnicity - it may be inclusive or there could be a lack of sense of belonging
○ Socio-economic status - it may be unaffordable and therefore uninclusive
● Place identity: the combination of characteristics that create an identity
○ Some places may be placeless (have no identity) eg. a service station
4. Categories of Place
● Near and Far Places
○ This refers to the distance and accessibility of a place
○ It’s not always physical, sometimes a far place is inaccessible due to income
differences or familiarity, despite being a town away
○ Far-away places are becoming closer due to modern technology, so there is a
shrinking space-time continuum
● Cornwall to London is a 6 hour drive and London to Paris is 2
hours by plane, even though it’s geographically further
, ● Experienced and Media Places
○ Experienced: first-hand sense of place
○ Media: sense of place via media sources however these are often less
accurate since they don’t include the atmosphere and rhythm of a place
● Topophilia and Topophobia Places
○ Topophilia: a place that is safe and you have a strong positive attachment to
○ Topophobia: places we fear or/and don’t enjoy
● Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft Places
○ Gemeinschaft: rural extreme
○ Gesellschaft: urban extreme
NOTE: This idea was created byTonnies
The Nature and Importance of Places
1. The concept of place
● Location: the exact point of place (eg. coordinates)
● Locale: a setting of everyday life (eg. a school or park)
● Sense of place: the distinct nature and emotion connected to a place
There are scales of place that you can identify with
● Local-scale (eg. same school)
● Regional scale (eg. same accents)
● National scale (eg. same flag)
2. Insiders and Outsiders
● Insider: someone who feels familiar and comfortable with the surroundings
○ They have a sense of belonging
● Outsider: someone who has no connection or interaction within a place
○ These can be tourists or people who use a place as a bolt hole (commuters
who only use the solace to sleep)
NOTE: The idea was created byEdward Relph
3. Meaning and Perception of Place
● Factors affecting the perception of place:
○ Age - for a young person an apartment in the city is considered modern,
well-connected etc. but for an elderly person it can be lonely
○ Gender - for males a park at night can be considered fun but for females it
can be unsafe
○ Ethnicity - it may be inclusive or there could be a lack of sense of belonging
○ Socio-economic status - it may be unaffordable and therefore uninclusive
● Place identity: the combination of characteristics that create an identity
○ Some places may be placeless (have no identity) eg. a service station
4. Categories of Place
● Near and Far Places
○ This refers to the distance and accessibility of a place
○ It’s not always physical, sometimes a far place is inaccessible due to income
differences or familiarity, despite being a town away
○ Far-away places are becoming closer due to modern technology, so there is a
shrinking space-time continuum
● Cornwall to London is a 6 hour drive and London to Paris is 2
hours by plane, even though it’s geographically further
, ● Experienced and Media Places
○ Experienced: first-hand sense of place
○ Media: sense of place via media sources however these are often less
accurate since they don’t include the atmosphere and rhythm of a place
● Topophilia and Topophobia Places
○ Topophilia: a place that is safe and you have a strong positive attachment to
○ Topophobia: places we fear or/and don’t enjoy
● Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft Places
○ Gemeinschaft: rural extreme
○ Gesellschaft: urban extreme
NOTE: This idea was created byTonnies
