Place and Space
Tj van Rensburg - 11029005 Critical Studies 2B - Place and Space Essay In unpacking the concept of ‘Place’ I have chosen to write about a photograph taken by Tareen Photography, a photographer from New Zeeland. It is a photograph depicting a homeless man on one of the many piers on the Durban beachfront. (Fig .1) I believe that this photo is a good example in discussing ‘place’ as a concept.
Place is a word used in every day language, primarily to indicate a certain location that could even be demonstrated with the use of coordinates to pinpoint where that location is in the world, although it can also be used to imply ownership or a sense of hierarchy. A place could refer to a house or a park this creates a locale around the place, giving it a more in-depth meaning than mere coordinates as it holds a material setting. With the given location and locale, one could establish a sense of place, which demonstrates that humans establish a relationship with a place to create meaning and emotional attachment to place. According to; John Agnew (1987) place as a meaningful location is established by using the three fundamental aspects of location, locale and sense of place. (Cresswell T, 2004) Using John Agnew’s method in establishing the understanding of place around Tareen’s photograph, one could see that it is a location situated on the east cost of South Africa and has the material setting of concrete piers, beaches, buildings, roads, water, and so on. In establishing a sense of place around this place, one would look at how and why it is occupied by human interaction. For example people would use it as a place to go swim, relax, ride a bike and so on. Through explaining this captured image of the Durban beachfront, place has been transformed into a meaningful location. Discussing place in relation to Tareen’s photo, consideration to the concept of space should be paid. To elaborate, Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer in 1497 found Durban while sailing in the
Place is a word used in every day language, primarily to indicate a certain location that could even be demonstrated with the use of coordinates to pinpoint where that location is in the world, although it can also be used to imply ownership or a sense of hierarchy. A place could refer to a house or a park this creates a locale around the place, giving it a more in-depth meaning than mere coordinates as it holds a material setting. With the given location and locale, one could establish a sense of place, which demonstrates that humans establish a relationship with a place to create meaning and emotional attachment to place. According to; John Agnew (1987) place as a meaningful location is established by using the three fundamental aspects of location, locale and sense of place. (Cresswell T, 2004) Using John Agnew’s method in establishing the understanding of place around Tareen’s photograph, one could see that it is a location situated on the east cost of South Africa and has the material setting of concrete piers, beaches, buildings, roads, water, and so on. In establishing a sense of place around this place, one would look at how and why it is occupied by human interaction. For example people would use it as a place to go swim, relax, ride a bike and so on. Through explaining this captured image of the Durban beachfront, place has been transformed into a meaningful location. Discussing place in relation to Tareen’s photo, consideration to the concept of space should be paid. To elaborate, Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer in 1497 found Durban while sailing in the
Bibliography: Cresswell T: Place, A short introduction. (2004) Blackwell 1. Introduction: defining place (1-14) i) Agnew J 1987; The united States in the World Economy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge ii) Lefebvre H 1991 The production of space Blackwell, Oxford, UK iii) Smith N 1991 Uneven Development: Nature,Capital, and the Production of Space B. Blackwell, Oxford. 2. The genealogy of place (15-52) Author unknown: South African History – Natal South Africa – Vasco Da Gama, (06/03/2010) http://www.thesouthafricaguide.com/famous-south-africans-andhistory/south-african-history-–-discovery-of-south-africa-vasco-dagama/ Tareen Photography http://www.tareenphotography.com/wedding-photographer---fashionphotographer---family-photographer--commercial-photographer 1. Picture (Fig .1) http://tareenphotography.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/durbanbeach-front/ Warren Ellis (2012): Interview, Durban North Appendix Figure 1: