Changing Places revision general

Place

A specific area with physical and human characteristics that distinguish it from other areas. It can be understood through both its location and its identity. A space with a meaning.

Insider Perspectives on Place

The viewpoint of people who are familiar with and reside in a particular place. Their understanding is shaped by their personal experiences, cultural background, and sense of belonging.

Outsider Perspectives on Place

The viewpoint of individuals or groups who do not live in a particular place, often shaped by external perceptions, stereotypes, or assumptions about that location.

Near Places

Places that are geographically close to each other OR places that an individual feels closer to due to personal experience or frequent representational exposure.

Far Places

Places that are distant geographically or places that an individual feels distance from due to lack of familiarity with the characteristics of the place. Remote areas or places located far from one's point of reference.

Experienced Places

Places that a person has physically visited or interacted with, leading to a personal, lived experience and knowledge of the place's attributes.

Lived Experience

An individual's personal experience of living in, or interacting with, a place over time, which shapes their emotional and cultural connection to that location.

Media Places

Places represented or depicted through various forms of media (e.g., films, TV shows, news), which might differ from the lived experience of those places.

Endogenous Factors

Internal characteristics of a place that shape its development, such as its physical geography, climate, local economy, and social structures.

Demographic Characteristics

The statistical aspects of a population, including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, income, education, and population density.

Infrastructure

The physical structures and systems that support society, including transportation networks, utilities (water, electricity), communication systems, and public services.

Topography

The physical features of a landscape, including mountains, rivers, valleys, plains, and the overall shape and relief of the land.

Land Use

The way land is utilized by humans, including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or conservation purposes.

Built Environment

The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, such as buildings, roads, bridges, and cities.

Economic Characteristics

The economic factors that influence a place, such as employment rates, industries, income levels, economic opportunities, and the overall economic structure of the area.

Social Inequalities

Disparities in wealth, education, healthcare, and opportunities within a place, often along lines of class, race, ethnicity, or gender.

Cultural Characteristics

The cultural traits that define a place, including language, traditions, customs, religion, and shared history.

Location

The specific position or address of a place, typically defined by geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude), or its relative position in relation to other places.

Locale

The specific setting or physical context in which social activities and interactions take place, emphasizing the local characteristics and the social atmosphere of a place.

Sense of Place

The emotional connection or attachment that people develop to a place, often shaped by memories, experiences, and cultural identity.

Exogenous Factors

External influences that affect a place, such as global economic trends, international policies, or cultural diffusion from other areas.

Continuity in a Place

The aspects of a place that remain constant or unchanged over time, such as cultural practices, physical geography, or architectural styles.

Change in a Place

The transformation or alteration of a place over time, driven by factors like economic development, population growth, or environmental changes.

External Forces

External factors or influences that impact a place, such as natural disasters, migration, global trade, or political decisions from external governments or organizations.

Shifting Flows of People, Resources, Money, and Investment

The movement and redistribution of people (e.g. labour), resources (e.g., raw materials), capital, assets and financial investments between places, often driven by economic and social trends.

Multinational Corporations

Large companies that operate in multiple countries around the world, influencing local economies, environments, and cultural landscapes.

International or Global Institutions

Organizations that operate at a global level, such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, or the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that help regulate or influence international policies, trade, and development.

Different Scales from Local to Global

The concept that geography can be studied at different spatial scales, from the local (neighborhood) level to the global level (entire planet), and the way local, national, and global processes interact.

Place Meaning

The significance or value that people attribute to a place based on their experiences, history, culture, or memories.

Place Representation

The way a place is portrayed or depicted in various media, art, or academic work, which can shape perceptions of that place.

Place Attachment

The emotional bond people have with a place, often resulting from long-term residence or experiences that lead to a strong sense of connection and identity with that location.

External Agencies

Organizations or institutions that operate outside the local area but have an influence on it, such as national governments, NGOs, or international corporations.

Quantitative Data

Data that is expressed in numerical terms, such as population statistics, economic output, or survey results, allowing for statistical analysis.

Geospatial Data

Data that is related to geographic locations and can be represented in spatial formats, often used in mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Qualitative Data

Non-numerical data that describes the qualities or characteristics of a place, often gathered through interviews, observations, and cultural analysis.