There are many different definitions of place attachment. Most definitions
agree that it refers to an emotional connection between a person and a
geographical area. However, where Brown and Raymond (2007) define that
geographical area as a person's immediate attachment, the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation (2008) defines this as any place in the world. The way I interpret
this definition allows the individual to feel an emotion connection to an area
in which they have not necessarily visited. For this reason, any reference to
place attachment will invoke this definition.
Growing up, I was adamant that I would move to London for university and
later live in Spain, Italy and America. I was attracted to the places that
seemed different and adventurous in comparison to the ex-mining white
working-class village in Yorkshire, where I had lived since I was born. When I
was reminded of these foreign places, through popular culture or holidays, I
felt a strong attachment to the life I could be living in these prosperous areas.
In reality, the university I went to was in fact further north than my home
village. It is interesting when I reflect upon how I made this geographical
decision. Part of my undergraduate dissertation actually researched into how
the "feel" of a university influences the decision that a first
generation university student, such as myself, makes. Following similar
conclusions, the northern university I chose was the correct fit for my
habitus. Habitus, defined by Bourdieu (1972), as a set of dispositions that are
second nature and familiar to an individual.
Since I left for university as an undergraduate, besides going home over
summer, I have never moved back to my home village. Now, living in
Stoke-on-Trent, the home sickness is starting to catch up with me. Perhaps my
habitus is being stretched too much by the 180 mile distance with weak train
connections, and the feeling of being in Staffordshire rather than Yorkshire.
It could be possible that I now feel like a "fish out of water" as Bourdieu
(1972) would describe: living a life that is not completely compatible with my
habitus. As such, my place attachment is not towards Stoke but rather my home
village back in Yorkshire.
Indeed, when I visit my parent's house I do get the feeling that I will
move back into my teenage bedroom at some ambiguous point in the future. Anton
and Lawrence's (2014) research found that their participants had a higher
attachment to their homes rather than local areas. Perhaps what I feel is not
place attachment but a sense of nostalgia for a time gone by where I dreamt of
where I would be living as an adult.
It is interesting to think that, although I have the economic means and
knowledge that I could live anywhere I wanted, I have decided to go back to the
same "deprived" village in which I grew up. Why would I want to live
in this ex-mining town when I could live by the sea in Spain, a historic
Italian town or a bustling city in America? Research from the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation (2008) suggests this, indeed, does have to do with habitus and
capital. Their report on place attachment in areas of deprivation found strong
social networks and historical links to the area create this bond.
Bourdieu's theory of practice relates to place attachment as habitus
fosters the emotional connection with a geographical location. The Joseph
Rowntree Foundation's (2008) research found that place attachment is higher in
more homogenous areas in which residents have common backgrounds, interests and
culture. My ex-mining town is a white working class area with a uniquely
Yorkshire accent, so this could be why it fits my habitus.
The idea of moving back does make me feel optimistic for the future of the
village. Migrating for educational qualifications and skills across the country
fills me with the sense of "giving back". Indeed, high attachment to
place results in positive outcomes, for example, becoming socially and
politically involved to create a better community for all (Anton and Lawrence,
2014). Of course, I could also be completely wrong, move back, hate it and move
to New York City; but we will have to wait and see, I am sure that would make
for an interesting reflective blog post if it were to happen!
References:
G. Brown, C. Raymond (2007) The relationship between place attachment and
landscape values: Towards mapping place attachment. Applied Geography,
27, pp. 89-111
C.E. Anton and C. Lawrence (2014) Home is where the heart is: The effect of
place of residence on place attachment and community participation. Journal
of Environmental Psychology, 40, pp. 451-461
P. Bourdieu (1972) Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge:
University Press
