2.A- How do we understand place?

Question 1

what is a place’s meaning?

Answer 1

• the significance or value which a place has for an individual or group of people.
• some places are associated with historic events and become a symbol of group identity, leading to protection

Question 2

what is a place’s identity?

Answer 2

• the real or percieved defining characteristics of a geographical space which has been shpaed by people and physical processes over time.
• places may have contrasting identities in the eyes of different people

Question 3

what is a place?

Answer 3

• a portion of geographic space whose identity is distinctive in some way.
• particular places have unique landscapes deriving from underlying physical geography and the way societies have shaped their surface appearance

Question 4

what is a contested place?

Answer 4

• a contested place is one where tension or conflict has arisen due to the inability of different players to agree how it should be managed, used or represented

Question 5

how may people percieve a football stadium (for example)?

Answer 5

• exculsive environment
• middle aged dad’s w/ children
• racism
• white and cisgender

Question 6

how may people percieve a music festival (for example)?

Answer 6

• drugs and alcohol
• mixed age groups but primarily youths
• much more inclusive e.g. mix of genders/religions/sexualities/race

Question 7

what do different perception of places show?

Answer 7

• time of day changes places
• percieved differently by different people -> need a variety of opinions systematically in fieldwork

Question 8

how does AGE influence perception of place?

Answer 8

• people’s perceptions change as they get older
• life cycle = involves changing their residence and therefore where they might live, associated w/ changes to income/family size.

Question 9

example of how AGE influences perception of place?

Answer 9

PARK
- 5 yr old = play area
- young adults = drugs/place to hang out

Question 10

how does GENDER influence perception of place?

Answer 10

• traditionally, a division along gender lines has been most apparent in the separation of public and private places
• such divisions among places reflect the way society sees traditional male and female roles
• safety = certain places can be percieved as “unsafe” and therefore some people avoid these routes/neighbourhoods on the basis of their gender

Question 11

example of how GENDER influences perception of place?

Answer 11

• pubs
• football stadiums
• park at night

Question 12

how does SEXUALITY influence perception of place?

Answer 12

• economic aspect to the emergence of places defined on sexuality
• LGBT+ tourism - people seek out the places to visit where they can have a sense of security
• some cities have been identified as having LGBTQ+ zones = centre on concentrations of restaurants, bars and clubs e.g. “Gay Village” in Manchester

Question 13

example of how SEXUALITY influences perception of place?

Answer 13

• “Gay Village” in Manchester
• Castro District, San Fransisco

Question 14

how does RELIGION influence perception of place?

Answer 14

• people have given locations spiritual meanings for millenia.
• religions such as Judaism, Christinaity and Islam have given meanings to many places through the building of synagogues, churches and mosques.

Question 15

example of how RELIGION influences perception of place?

Answer 15

• Sandstone Uluru (Ayers Rock) in centre of Australia (Aboriginal creation stories)
• Jerusalem- focus of spiritual meaning associated w/ refuge, peace and healing

Question 16

how does ROLE influence perception of place?

Answer 16

• each of us performs a variety of roles at different times
• we gain and lose roles throughout life
• the role we have at any 1 time can influence our perceptions of a location and how we behave
• role influences perceptions of fear, insecurity and anxiety, which are then reflected in the ways boundaries are used to include/exclude people and activities.

Question 17

example of how ROLE influences perception of place?

Answer 17

SCHOOL
- students vs teachers

Question 18

what is Hiraeth?

Answer 18

• a longing for one’s homeland.
• more than just “homesickness”, it is an expression of the bond a person feels for a country when they’re away form it

Question 19

what aspects of place make Catalonia distinct?

Answer 19

• human towers (“Castells”)/traditions
• tourist hub and thriving manufacturing industry. wealthy/successful region
• financial crisis in Spain fueled the pro independence movement.
• Catalan spoken by 75% of population and is main language taught in schools.
• 71% of population was, only 41% likely to vote yes
• been around since 1469. Shared history often gives people a deep emotional attachment to a place
• symbols/flags everywhere
• Barcelona Football Club links itself strongly w/ Catalan independence
• food/arts culture (Gaudi, Segrada family Cathedral)

Question 20

what is SPACE-TIME COMPRESSION?

Answer 20

• the reduction in the time it takes for something to reach another place.
• distant places are less remote and more accessible
• we know what is happening on the other side of the world and we know it sooner than ever before

Question 21

what is GLOBALISATION?

Answer 21

• the increased interconnectedness of the world, economically and socially

Question 22

how has TRAVEL contributed to the space time compression and encouraged globalisation?

Answer 22

• go pretty much anywhere quickly and fairly cheaply
• budget airlines = cheap = social.
• people take ideas and culture around the world

Question 23

how has TRADE contributed to the space time compression and encouraged globalisation?

Answer 23

• containerisation
• trade between different countries.
• food, clothes, products from all around the world
• not affected by seasonality

Question 24

how has INTERNET contributed to the space time compression and encouraged globalisation?

Answer 24

• recieve news instantly from all aound the world
• instant communication and information

Question 25

how have TNCs contributed to the space time compression and encouraged globalisation?

Answer 25

• everywhere and anywhere in the world
• made us more connected
• also invest in other companies

Question 26

how has MIGRATION contributed to the space time compression and encouraged globalisation?

Answer 26

• movement of people all around the world
• diasporas established everywhere

Question 27

how can globalisation affect a place’s identity and character?

Answer 27

• multiculturalism - positive effect that has created identity
• increased social cohesion
• on the other hand, racism and xenophobia
• homogenisation of culture (places become the same as everywhere else)
• gentrification and TNCs everywhere. BUT allows people to access products
• impact of globalisation = LOCALISM e.g. Stokes Croft. Trying to find a different niche = enhances the place profile
• deindustrialisation = industry removed, increased deprivation and dereliction

Question 28

what is meant by the “global village?”

Answer 28

• the term global village is used to convey the idea that the world has become smaller, not in a physical sense but because of its greater inter-connectedness
• communications and the flow of goods are quicker and more reliable than ever before.
• More people travel further and w/ increasing frequency