My Identity

Place can be defined as “Space which is given social meaning by human activity and imagination” (Mansvelt, 2016). This means that the way we choose to interact in a place and the encounters we have with people there, determines how we relate and connect to it on a personal level. I have chosen to talk about my house to show how this particular place has shaped my identity and belonging. First I will discuss why my home is important to me, then I will describe the interactions that take place there, and finally I will analyse how living there has helped to shape my identity, and given me a sense of who I am.
My mother, grandmother, sister and I built our house when we first moved to the small beach town of Whitianga in the Coromandel Peninsula
Some of my greatest personal achievements such as winning awards and competitions, completing school, and getting accepted into university, have all occurred as I have been living there. For the moment while I am studying at Massey University in Albany, I have to live away from this home as the travel distance is too great. I am currently living in the new on-campus accommodation in a shared apartment. Even though I am accustomed to it now and have created a great lifestyle for myself away from home, the apartment is just not the same, and I do not feel the same connection here, as I do in my own house. I am not familiar with living in the Auckland area, I am residing in an unfamiliar building that I cannot call my own, and am flatting with people other than the family I have always lived with, so it makes sense that I should feel less of a connection to this place, and a weaker sense of
Living with three other family members and a range of different pets, our lifestyle involves various created norms, rules and conventions, that allow us to function pleasantly together and create meaningful relationships. Some of the conventions we engage in are, always sitting at the table for dinner each night without cell phones, and doing the clearing up and the dishes together. These interactions are significant as they teach us to work together, and allow us valuable time to just be together and communicate as a family. We also have certain unconscious rules or norms that we all follow, such as treating each other with respect, listening to each other, and being supportive at all times. This enables us to nurture a strong and trusting relationship with each other, where we feel like we have others we can depend on-who will be there to help us grow. By engaging in these different interactions we can gain a sense of unity and collaboration (Dupuis, 2015). We feel like we are a real ‘family’, as this allow us to run a close, smooth household, where everyone is included and valued. These are also learning opportunities; times where you learn to work alongside other people, and be taught important lessons and skills from your elders (Jacobson,