Place Existing Within The Home Essays Example

Assignment 1

Introduction
The article Place: An Experimental Perspective (Tuan, 1975), talks about the different places and how their meanings develop through both the indirect as well as direct experiences. It was tactfully written to boost people’s understanding of “sense of place” and “place” (Tuan, 1975). Consequently, place refers to different points in a given spatial system and can also be viewed as central meanings constructed by various experiences. Additionally, place may also refer to strong instinctual feelings that happen in an individual’s mind. Tuan postulates that places derive their meanings from the various experiences that transpire over time hence the experiences of a place is mainly dependant on its scale. Thus, Tuan further contends that a place has physical insinuations as evidenced from the article. For example, in the home, there are a number of places including the fireplace, dining room, bedroom among others (Tuan, 1975). Therefore, different places have distinct meanings and hence different functions. In the case of a nation state, there exists nationally experienced events e.g. The National Flag and National Anthem as well as national places e.g. Times Square.
Subsequently, Tuan also establishes that people are usually more conscious about the places that exist on larger scale because they exist actively. Conversely, places existing on a smaller scale are experienced passively though more intimately. Nevertheless, the passive experiences can be made active through education, art or even politics. For example; the appearance of a given place can be enhanced through art hence making the place more attractive and memorable. Thus, In order to have an in-depth understanding of the concept, three distinct places of different scales will be discussed in the paper. Specifically, the places that will be highlighted include; places in the home, region or neighborhood as well as a Nation State.

The home is imperative in people’s day to day lives because it nurtures shelter. Also, the home protects life and provides safety from the predators and harsh weather conditions. Further, the home can be viewed either as “place” or “sense of place” (Tuan, 1975). There exist a number of places within the home that are symbolic. Some of the places include the fireplace, dining area, bed among many others. When one talks about a fireplace, the first thing that comes into one’s mind is a home. Consequently, the dining area symbolizes a family reunion hence the family members usually gather around the dining table to share an evening meal. In addition, the beds are typically used for sleeping and hence signify peace, rest and happiness. Thus, after a hard day’s work, people normally derive much pleasure from sleeping because they can rest. The above clearly symbolize the home as either a place or sense of place. In the case of “place”, the effects of the home can be seen and touched. For example; the dining area. Conversely, In the case of “sense of place” the effects of the home can only be felt. For example comfort and safety.

Place existing in the region or neighborhood

Further, different places can also be experienced in the region or even in the neighborhood. A variety of cities and towns exists within a given region. Certain regions are renowned for the various ancient sites and locations. For example, Egypt is better known for its pyramids and other ancient buildings. Additionally, various countries have unique neighborhoods. For example, the Beacon Hill, the Watts, and Greenwich Village are some of the neighborhoods in the United States. The regions and the different neighborhoods are indeed distinct because unlike the region, the neighborhoods usually lack a physically defined boundary. However, regions have well-defined boundaries and hence it is easier to identify specific regions. In this case, the regions can easily be defined as “places” whereas the neighborhood gives a “sense of place”. Thus, this is because, there are no exact boundaries in the neighborhood, but the boundaries can be developed in the mind. Neighborhoods are normally distinguished using a number of factors. Some of the factors include; the look of streets and houses, socioeconomic status as well as the prevailing ethnic composition (Tuan, 1975). In addition, the experiences that make neighborhoods memorable are those that can be seen e.g. pictures. Nonetheless, in order to learn more and gain more knowledge about certain regions, geographers usually use maps. Geographers usually have a keen eye on drawing boundaries as well as identifying the structural and physical compositions of different regions. Thus, this is crucial since it enables learners to know a region’s endowments in terms of minerals, mountains, and game reserves among others.

Place existing in a Nation-State

A nation is indeed a “place” in its own right hence it has its National Language and National Flag, and the National Anthem (Tuan, 1975). In addition, a Nation State has a common culture, ethnocentric history, as well as common geography among others. Examples of Nation States include the United States, Germany, Italy, and Canada among many others. Thus, the nation states normally cover larger geographical areas. Consequently, the nation states constitute a number of citizens who regard their countries as home. For example, the citizens of the United States regard the US as their home. Thus, this gives them a “sense of place” and belonging. Importantly, the “sense of place” allows the citizens to work hard hence contribute to their nation’s economic growth. As such, they are able to realize developments and greater returns, in the long run.

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing mentioned facts, it is indeed clear that “place” and “sense of place” are distinct. Place is usually more active and more tangible whereas sense of place is intangible though very intimate. Different places usually come to mind when we reflect on various places. Some of the places include the school, the backyard, a particular restaurant, and neighborhood, museum among others. Thus, different activities are undertaken in different places. For instance; there exist many academic activities in schools hence students learn a lot. Conversely, in the backyard, children are able to play a variety of games with other siblings. Therefore, “places” are more objective because they rely on facts unlike the “sense of place” that is subjective since it depends on an individual’s feelings. Nonetheless, Tuan should have included more geographical evidences in his article. In addition, Tuan should have included physical features and landscapes in his article.

References

Tuan, Y. (1975). {Review of the book Place: An Experimental Perspective. The Geographical Review}. 65(2), 151-165. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/213970