Space And Place Identity

Space and place are important facets of our identity and who we are. It is sometimes said that places have a way of claiming people, or that a place grows on you. This means that not only are we getting used to a place but also that we are developing a strong relationship with that place and that it is becoming a part of who we are-our identity. Place identity is the foundation of a person’s self-identity, and consists of knowledge and feelings developed through everyday experiences of physical spaces. A sense of place identity derives from the multiple ways in which place functions to provide a sense of belonging, provide meaning, and promote attachments. The debate of how space and place shape identity will revolve around two main attitudes: …show more content…
Among the first identity determinants are those rooted in the child's experience with objects, people and the environment. Here, social and environmental skills and relationships are learned, and the "lenses" are formed through which the child later will recognize, evaluate and create places and his or her own identity. Related to the idea that social aspects of space and place shape identity is Yi-Fu Tuan’s Space and Place, where he states, “A homeland has its landmarks, which may be features of high visibility and public significance…these visible signs serve to enhance a people’s sense of identity; they encourage awareness of and loyalty to a place.” Regarding the relationship between space and place, he states, “From the security and stability of place we are aware of the openness, freedom, and threat of space.” Space is a mere existence, while place is a location that is given values through human experience. The ability to experience different objects allows us to discern different places; …show more content…
The first camp, including Whitman, Tuan and Beller believes that the social parts of our lives, such as our culture and the people around us, shape our identity. The second camp, which consists of Jackson, Snyder and Herzog, believe that the natural environment shapes the identities of those who are exposed to it. I believe that space and place do shape identity, and that our social and environmental parts of our lives equally shape us into who we are. Many factors, genetic, social, and cultural and the environment, combine to shape identity. When attachment to place grows, we start to identify ourselves with these places, both at a larger scale, like a nation or city, and at a smaller scale, like your neighborhood or home. I believe the influence place has on identity is a result of a mutual interaction between people and their physical environment; people affect places, and places influence how people see