American geographer, Richard Hartshorne once said, "Geography is that discipline that seeks to describe and interpret the variable character from place to place of the earth as the world of man."
All of us are physically at a place right now, and we might leave or stay for various reasons. Places undeniably play a huge role in our everyday lives, and remain a core aspect of the study of Geography.
In this article, we will explore the following points:
- Concepts and types of places
- Place character
- Human perspective on places
- Place meanings
- Effectiveness of place studies
How Are Places Defined and Categorised?
Before diving deeper into changing places, it's important to define various concepts such as location, place, locales, placelessness, and attachment.
Locations are physical points which indicate the exact address, and coordinates — it answers the question, "Where is it?"
On the other hand, places are multi-dimensional, and most importantly relational. While encompassing the physical attributes, they hold certain meanings — it answers the question, "What is it like here or there?"
Locations in a place with different purposes which revolve around social interactions and some behavioural traits. For instance, people are more likely to walk quietly and gather in groups to study in a library.
Placelessness is a concept used to describe a place that is generic and standardised. For instance, a street may appear to have the same design or structure because it's filled with fast food chains.
Attachment refers to the motion or feeling that one develops towards a place. It can grow due to the intensity and frequency of personal experiences that you have in that particular place. A fresh graduate will have a strong attachment towards the university that he or she attended for 3 or 4 years.
Places can be divided into different types, and even fit into multiple categories at once as shown below.
| Types of places | Elaboration |
|---|---|
| Near Places | Close in terms of physical points and calculated distance, in the same town, city or state. Can have an underlying emotional meaning — close to home. |
| Far Places | Distant in terms of physical points and calculated distance, like across states, countries, continents. Can have an underlying emotional meaning — homesick |
| Experienced Places | Places where you have actually visited and most likely to have a strong emotional attachment. |
| Media Places | Places where you have seen through media representation — getting a good or bad impression may create a favourable or non favourable emotional attachment. |
It's important to note that travelling duration to different places can vary depending on the available transportation options.
What Contributes To The Character of Places?
Place character refers to the unique qualities and features of a location — something that can be observed.
Like the human character, the character of places is influenced by many factors namely endogenous factors (from within) and exogenous factors (from outside).
Endogenous Factors
One key example of endogenous factors is elements of physical geography such as topography, climate, the types of rocks and soils surrounding the place and the available natural resources.
From there, we can then learn more about how the land is used — urban, rural or industrial.
Depending on the land use, there will be differences in the built environment of the place, especially in terms of architecture and also the scale of infrastructure.
For instance, urban areas will have a more developed railway system.
A place's character is made complete by the presence of people. This is where demographics come in. It gives us an idea of its economic characteristics — dominant sectors and job opportunities.
Exogenous Factors
External influences and flows can also contribute to the shaping of a place's character. Essentially, the flow of new development ideas for different sectors can bring in more resources to the place such as:
- Financial resources: Investment and opening of new businesses through major events like the London Olympics.
- Human resources: Movement of people migration or work purposes, contributing their skills and knowledge.
- Social resources: Formation of new partnerships, and cultural relationships in the community.
- Technological resources: Introduction of new digital tools and platforms. For example, the digitalisation of urban transportation in London and Bristol.
How Do People Have Different Perspectives on Places?
While a place character can appear to be fixed (at least for a while), different people can feel differently when they're at the place. Their perspectives on the places can vary according to their personal experiences, cultural background, and why they are at the place in the first place.
Generally, we can group them into three categories.
Insider
Insiders are usually born or spend their childhood or schooling years there in the associated place. They are familiar with the norms of the local community and the local slang used — having a strong sense of belonging, connection, and comfort.
Outsider
Outsiders are usually non-locals who have chosen to make their home in the associated place. Everything is unfamiliar — the cuisine, the language, the social norms, the buildings. Many immigrant families in the UK tend to feel this way when they move to a new country or new town where they are an ethnic minority.
The "Other"
This term refers to groups of people who are excluded and isolated from the place character and local community due to a lack of understanding which can result in prejudice and conflicts.
A person's perspective towards a place can change over time. An insider can become an outsider, and vice versa. For instance, when there is a huge movement of multicultural communities into the place or when there is gentrification.
A process where a place is developed or renovated to attract wealthier groups to live and make new businesses. This results in overall higher costs and a change in the place's character in terms of infrastructure and original architecture.
What Is The Significance of Place Meanings?
Remember what we mentioned earlier about the element of attachment? Place meaning refers to the emotional bond, value and symbolic significance that a place holds for us
It can be shaped by the happenings of the past and present which affect one on a personal level through memories, history, and cultural importance.
For example, a regular tourist may not think too much when they visit Buckingham Palace but if a child of a former staff of Buckingham Palace visits, the place would hold a different meaning to them.
On a larger scale, place meanings can be represented and shaped by government strategies, and social media campaigns by local community groups to portray a positive image of the place, especially if it involves the tourism industry.
| Place | Location in the UK | Place Meaning/ Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Big Ben and Houses of Parliament | London | A symbol of British parliament democracy and governance. A solid reason why it becomes a popular tourist photo spot. |
| Oxford University | Oxford | A symbol of prestige education and the pinnacle of acdemia pursuit, for both local and international students. |
| Bath | Somerset | Reflects Georgian architecture especially through The Royal Crescent. |
| The Costwolds | Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire | Represents the idyllic and charming rural life in the UK |
How Can Place Studies Be Conducted Effectively?
Whether you're studying for your A-Level Geography now or choose to further study in a related field later, it's important to utilise reliable sources as you conduct place studies.
Some examples include:
- Census Data
- Field Trips
- Art & Media
- Maps and Photos
- Advertising
To ensure source reliability, make sure to check the purpose of the source, the link of the source to geographical concepts and contemporary issues and whether the information indicated is objective (balanced view).
Besides maximising a wide range of reliable sources for place studies, you should also review the relationship between endogenous and exogenous factors to develop a comprehensive view during your research process.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Rate it!
Loading...
