THE HUMAN NATURAL WORLD RELATIONSHIP
Place Attachment
100
to attitudes to the resource and to management priorities. The study concluded that
management objectives were more important to those with a higher level of place attachment,
which in this case was the local community. Key park management issues such as grazing
and hunting were the subject of a study in the Grand Teton National Park in the USA by
Smaldone and colleagues (2005). The study found that while place attachment was strong
amongst visitors, those negatively affected by issues portrayed a stronger emotional
attachment than those unaffected. The study concluded that in discovering place attachment
levels management could identify community groups for public involvement in management
processes (Smaldone, Harris, Sanyal & Lind, 2005). Opposition to development and
landscape change was evident in a study on river communities in Nebraska, which provided
management with a meanings based framework for addressing controversial problems
(Davenport & Anderson, 2005). Trust and community involvement in decisions in natural
resource management agencies were examined by Payton, Fulton and Anderson (2005). The
study found that trust was a major issue in mediating civil action. Further, understanding
place attachment would lead to developing trust and improving civic relationships.
Place Dependence and Influence on Identity and Environmental Behaviour
The influence of place dependence on place identity was examined by Pretty, Chipuer and
Bramston (2003) in Australian rural communities, by Vaske and Kobrin (2001) on youth in
natural resource work programs, Kaltenborn (1997) on homeowners in Norway, and Moore
and Graefe (1994) on rail trail users. The study by Vaske and Kobrin confirmed that place
dependence can influence the development of place identity, which was strongly linked to
environmental behaviour. However, a study of traditional mountain farmers in the Hohe
Tauere National Park in Austria showed that they did not consider themselves as protectors of
the environment although this may have been the perception of others (Ploner, 1995).
Further studies reveal that people with a strong place dependence can also develop a strong
place identity, which can influence environmental behaviour (Kyle, Graefe, Manning &
Bacon, 2004b; Vaske & Kobrin, 2001).
Place Attachment
101
Summary of Place Dependence
The goal directed/functional attachment, place dependence, explains the dependence on a
place for a specific activity such as recreation or employment. Place attachment studies
identify higher levels of place attachment amongst those who are dependant on the resource.
In addition, recreationalists with a specialisation in an activity had a stronger place
attachment than those less experienced.
Furthermore, studies found that in discovering variations in place attachment, management
could identify community members suitable for public involvement in management processes
(Smaldone et al., 2005). In addition, people with a strong place dependence often have a
strong place identity, which can influence environmental behaviour (Kyle, Graefe, Manning
& Bacon 2004b; Vaske & Kobrin, 2001).
4.5.2 Place Identity
Introduction to Place Identity
Within the context of the place attachment literature, place identity refers to the
emotional/symbolic attachment to a place, which can also develop from place dependence,
which is the reliance on a place for functional activities. Williams et al. (1995) explains that
the way a person identifies with a place is linked strongly with a special childhood memory,
adult memory or a place of special significance, such as a symbol of heritage. A person may
have particularly happy childhood memories of holidays in a seaside town; a couple may
have special memories of their honeymoon destination; a historic site, such as Anzac Cove in
Gallipoli, may hold particular historic importance for many Australians. Users with an
emotional or symbolic attachment can be passive recreationalists, users of walking trails or
picnic grounds or they may have an interest in historic or cultural aspects, or they may have
an emotional or symbolic attachment, which has developed from a functional attachment
referred to as place dependence.
Place Attachment
102
Place Identity and Emotional Attachment
Research by Hernández, Hidalgo, Salazar-Laplace and Hess (2007) suggests that place
attachment forms before place identity, which is a component of our personal identity.
Emotional attachment to a place, Proshansky (1978) explains, is linked to a person’s unique
socialisation in the world revealed through their place identity. This in turn reflects their
personal identity, which is established through a complex web of conscious and unconscious
ideas, feelings, preferences and values. Expanding on this concept, other social and physical
characteristics of places may also be linked to a person’s place identity (Measham, 2004;
Mura, 2004) which evolves over time with life experience and inner growth (Measham 2004;
Speller, 2000). A case in point was a study that examined the effect of climate on place
identity. The study concluded that a person’s perception of a place might be influenced by
climate, and showed to be a strong influence on those with a high emotional attachment to
their residential area (Knez, 2005). There are many aspects that influence place identity,
some of which are discussed below. This section considers place identity/emotional
attachment in relation to environmental education, past experience, community, destination
choice and the role of narrative in identifying emotional attachment.
Place Identity and Environmental Education
A study by Blizard and Schuster (2004), examined children’s reactions after a woodland area
used for creative play was removed from their use. Blizard and Schuster observed that the
children had formed a strong emotional attachment to the trees, plants and animals. The bond
to the natural area was evident through the sense of wonderment and care the children
displayed towards the area, and the subsequent emotional loss they expressed for both the
“loss of nature, their place and the animals that had made their homes in the trees” (p. 60).
This expression of loss was also an expression of the loss of the social and physical link to
their place identity, that is, their link to their forest home and the community of children that
played in the forest and participated in building the forest forts. The study supports
environmental education in schools as suggested by Measham (2004), who found that the
emotional attachment of place identity is strongly influenced by childhood experiences, more
Place Attachment
103
so than by engaging in adult activities such as land production or recreational activities.
Additionally, Measham (2004) explains that environmental education in childhood can
encourage learning about places and foster links between the environment and ourselves.
Place Identity and Past Experiences
A person’s past experiences is considered an important influence in developing identity.
Various studies into the role of past experience in developing place attachment support this
argument (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Moore & Graefe, 1994; Williams, Patterson,
Roggenbuck & Watson, 1992). Zajonc (2001) explains that if repeated exposure to a place
either through the written or visual media can form place attachment, “…then past experience
should also be a powerful predictor of place identity” (Backlund & Williams, 2003, p. 321).
Negative past experiences however, can have the reverse effect on emotional attachment as
demonstrated in a study by Johnson (1998). The study showed that black Americans had a
lower level of attachment to wilderness than white Americans did. Johnson suggests that the
collective memory of the groups past experience was linked with the negativity associated
with slavery, sharecropping and lynching (Johnson, 1998) which caused displacement and the
breaking of emotional connections (Inalhan & Finch, 2004).
Alternatively, inattentiveness or disinterest in local affairs can still occur when community
attachment is strong. A study by Lima and Castro (2005) explained that residents were more
concerned with global catastrophic events than local ones, as they did not feel threatened and
believed that science was quite capable of dealing with these events. Additionally, the
residents believed that their community “could not be contaminated with the same problems
that concerned them globally” (p. 33). The exceptions to disinterest in local affairs were
those residents individually affected by local issues, which are sometimes referred to as the
“not in my backyard” syndrome (Lima & Castro, 2005).
Place Attachment
104
Place Identity and Community
The formation of community is the result of common experiences and a shared context of
meanings (Ballesteros & Ramırez, 2007) that “shape situations in which participants create
values” (p. 2). Furthermore, communities as well as the individual are strong reference
points for the creation of identities, which are symbolic realities. According to Auge (cited in
Ballesteros & Ramırez, 2007, p. 677), “when strong collective identities are linked to life
spaces, a solid sense of community is formed” (p. 677).
A study by Kim and Kaplan (2004) on community identity in an urban environment showed
that residents had a strong sense of community identity when natural features and open
spaces were present which allowed social interaction. Likewise, social interaction was
relevant in a study on residents’ place attachment to their homes, neighbourhood and city
(Hildago & Hernandez, 2001). Further studies addressed the level of support for tourism
development in communities (McCool & Martin, 1994), and government planning of
landscapes (Al-Hathloul & Aslam Mughal, 1999), the process that Russell and Harris (2001)
believe can foster and result in a strong sense of community identity.
In an effort to understand the relationship between identity and choices that people make in
their lives, a study on the elderly in rural communities revealed that they strongly identified
with their homes and community and because of this emotional attachment were reluctant to
move in their autumn years (Ponzetti, 2003). A study by Billig (2006) on communities in the
Gaza region, found that even when people were faced with dangerous situations, they were
inclined to stay in the region. In contrast, Mark Halstead, in a review on Yemeni girls who
have settled with their families in America (Sarroub, 2005), commented that while struggling
with two cultures, the girls must come to terms with an identity constructed mainly from the
influence of males, family members and community leaders.
Williams (2002) believes that globalisation has removed the traditional place based
community identity, which he refers to as Politics of Place. He explains that Politics of Place
Place Attachment
105
is when leisure activities are used to “affirm connections to places which in turn can create
and structure social differences between locals and outsiders and assert power and authority
over place” (p. 352). This will have implications in a global context as communities compete
for claims on places.
Place Identity and Loss of Attachment
Displacement is a term used to describe a way of dealing with disruptions to attachment. To
illustrate this, an individual may cope by moving to another location or by visiting a site on a
different day to avoid noise or crowding (Blizard & Schuster, 2004). Desegregating
communities can dislocate personal or community identity (Dixon & Durrheim, 2004), and
likewise shifts in social and community attachments can also result in displacing
communities (Fried, 2000a). A study by Windsor and McVey (2005) on the displacement of
indigenous communities in Canada through dam construction in the 1950s resulted in
displacement and a loss of place identity, by the forcible removal of the community from
their lands. According to Snyder, Williams & Peterson (2003, p. 109) in regard to indigenous
communities, “to move a culture is tantamount to destroying it”, this is because so much “is
woven into special patterns and localized meanings”. Displacement and loss of identity for
indigenous cultures is the result of how modern societies interpret human relationships with
nature (Snyder, 2003). Modern societies use valuation methods based on legal and economic
criteria, “while in a subsistence culture, meaning and relevance of much of the culture’s
knowledge and practices are specific to geographic places, for example, the knowledge of the
particular location and timing of harvestable plants and game” (p. 110).
The displacement of cultures is also evident in a study by Possick (2006) on evicted Jewish
settlers. The study described the trauma of separation and an ideological place attachment
amongst those effected. Similarly, a study on immigrants by Van Ecke (2005) supported
these results. The complexity of attachment, place identity and displacement, accentuated
through the Kashmiri Hindu migrants who settled in New Delhi, is worth noting.
Displacement occurred through increased military activity and an unstable political climate,
and many migrants still cling to the hope of one day returning to their homeland (Duschinski,
Place Attachment
106
2004). Wallace (2006, p. 23) states that the acknowledgement of a community’s “collective
historic” past and the creation of cultural areas is important in the resettlement of displaced
communities.
Place Identity and Destination Choice
Whilst place identity refers to the emotional or symbolic attachment to a place, repeat
visitation can play a significant role in strengthening this attachment (Altman & Low, 1992;
Belk, 1992). Additionally, an emotional, symbolic or functional attachment also serves to
shape activities and preferences for specific settings (Backlund & Williams 2003), for when
we are exposed to a place, we can develop a preference for that setting (Zajonc, 2001).
Alegre and Juaneda (2006) assert that the reason for repeat visitation is due in part to
developing an emotional attachment to the destination. Similarly, Marles and colleagues
(2001; 2003) discovered that a link existed between place identity and repeat tourist
visitation, and that emotional bonds are strengthened through repeat visits to a place.
Another study of visitors to Myrtle Beach and Charleston in the USA by Lee, Backman &
Backman (1997) supported the view that place attachment can help to explain repeat
visitation. The two destinations offered a different experience; one offered an historic
resource, while the other offered a family facility. Both experiences strengthened emotional
attachments to places, while the latter also strengthened attachment within the family unit.
However, attachments to places that children form may vary with gender and age. For
instance, Min and Lee (2006) established that children in the 10-12 age group preferred city
fringe settings, sports facilities and vacant areas, while children in the 7-10 age group
preferred play grounds and green spaces. However, common to all children was the
preference for natural settings, private and secret places and rest areas, uninterrupted by adult
interference. Concerning urban environments, Min and Lee (2006) believe that if a child is
exposed to the safe, comfortable built playground environment, they accept this setting as
special to them for their psychological and social play needs.
Place Attachment
107
Understanding the significance and meaning of the destination to the visitor is important if
managers are to meet their needs (Lee, 2001). Hailu, Boxall and McFarlane (2005) found
that place attachment “formed through previous trips to a destination can also influence
recreational demand and travel costs” (p. 581). Hailu and colleagues integrated place
attachment into a recreational demand and travel cost model. They hypothesised that “as
place attachment develops, visits to a site increase, as recreationists perceive fewer sites as
adequate substitutes” (Hailu, Boxall & McFarlane 2005, p. 583). By examining the link
between place attachment and recreational habits, they were able to calculate likely costs
associated with such trips, therefore having “the potential to affect the estimate of per trip
consumer surplus” (p. 595).
Williams et al. (1992) in a study of visitors to four wilderness sites, highlighted differences
between attachment to a wilderness setting and attachment to a place for other recreational
use such as a holiday. The study identified an alliance between wilderness and lifestyle
choice, such as membership to an organisation or group, while attachment of other users
related to lower socio-economic status. However, a study by Harris and Orams (1990), of
regional parks between users and non-users in Auckland, New Zealand found that a lower
economic status was more a characteristic of non-park users (Griffin, Wearing & Archer,
2004).
Place Identity and Narrative
The travel experience is particularly valuable for people in transitional stages of their lives, a
theme explored by White and White (2004) in a study of visitors to the Australian Outback.
The study concluded that self-identity could be revitalised, or changed through the travel
experience, which is communicated through postcards, photos or talk about travel. A study
by McCabe and Stokoe (2004, p. 602), explained the role of narrative as an expression of
place identity “…when tourists relay their experiences of a place their talk about the place
becomes their talk about their identity”. Place attachment can be expressed as a visual
narrative such as a postcard, (Pritchard & Morgan, 2003) or in the tourist’s description of a
Place Attachment
108
place (McCabe & Stokoe, 2004). Similarly, Johnstone (1990) explains that the sense of self-
identity is rooted in narrative, as stories about places can create meaningful attachments.
Trauer and Ryan (2005, p. 483) conclude that “narrative serves to structure a person’s sense
of self and place while also influencing interactions with others on a personal as well as a
community level”.
Place Identity and Symbolic Attachment
Symbolic attachment to a place is assigned by “individuals, groups and societies, and is not
necessarily related to the physical attributes of a place” (Williams, Patterson, Roggenbuck &
Watson, 1992, p. 33). Moreover, either the recreational experience, according to Tuan (1977)
can be a “direct experience of the senses” or it can be experienced through
“cognitive/symbolic processes” (in Williams, Patterson, Roggenbuck & Watson, 1992, p.
33).
Most community studies are in urban or rural settings, and within these communities are
symbols that contribute to both self-identity and community identity. Place identity studies
generally support the view that a person’s identity is closely linked to their community
identity (Dixon & Durrheim, 2004; Fried, 2000a; Hildago & Hernandez, 2001). A study by
Hull, Lam and Virgo (1994) on community icons identified a connection to the past through
symbols, which represented social groups that the residents, belonged to, or identified with,
or were reminders of personal accompaniments and concerns that evoked feelings and
emotions.
This next section considers place identity/symbolic attachment to National Parks, historic and
cultural sites, cultures and spirituality, all of which contain symbolic meaning to particular
individuals or communities.
Place Attachment
109
Place Identity and National Parks
National Parks are considered national symbols, which can “evoke memories of experiences,
developed through cultural and social meanings attached to the place” (Griffin, Wearing &
Archer 2004, p. 265). Recognition of the cultural and psychological benefits of a quiet
untouched setting as found in national parks has been well recognised in the research (Mace,
Bell & Loomis, 2004). It is important to note that ethnic groups may not relate to the park as
a national symbol but are more likely to use urban parks or national parks that are close to
their community as a social space, as they are large enough to accommodate family
gatherings (Griffin, Wearing & Archer, 2004, p. 274). Moreover, those who have never been
exposed to national parks are unlikely to visit them “because they do not have the cultural
attachment and traditionally will follow their own cultural habits” (p. 267). However, if park
managers are aware of these cultural differences, they can develop strategies that will
encourage new users, such as gatherings or events that will attract specific community
groups. This would potentially support the development of community identity and social
meaning for the users. Social value has become an important feature of community identity
and maintaining broad community support for national parks is important if environmental,
economic, socio-cultural, physiological or psychological benefits are to be realised (Griffin,
Wearing & Archer, 2004). Using a site for family gatherings can result in attachment,
through the process of identifying with the site for social or cultural activities.
Place Identity and Historic or Cultural Sites
Symbolic attachment was examined in a study on visitors to the Historic Lincoln, Vietnam
and Korean War Veteran Memorials in Washington DC USA (Chen, Wang & Larsen, 1999).
The study showed that the connection to the past was deep and profound for most visitors
who “reconnected with the principles and values of the sites, reflected and reconnected with
the past and honoured those that had passed before them” (p. 343). People who visit historic
or cultural sites, according to Svensson (1998), reconnected with their separation from culture
and nature through the tourist experience. By understanding the tourist’s relationship to the
Place Attachment
110
sites, managers may be in a better position to stimulate and foster stewardship (Svensson,
1998).
Fredrickson (2001) examined symbolic attachment through studying visitors’ knowledge of
the cultural and natural history of the region they were visiting. The importance of this
study showed that those who considered this knowledge important had a stronger place
attachment, which in turn had a favourable influence on their environmental ethic. A
further study of Taiwanese cultural tourists found that “the meaning and the formation of
place attachment may differ depending on the background of the tourist (Hou, Lin &
Morais, 2005, p. 221). Hou and colleagues found that those tourists with the same cultural
background as the host community expressed identity with the community, while those
from non-ethnic backgrounds expressed a dependence on the resource to define their place
attachment. These authors also found that destination attractiveness and involvement were
linked to the formation of place attachment and the formation of cultural identity (Hou, Lin
& Morais, 2005).
Place Identity and Cultures
The symbolic attachment that people have to their environments was evident in many
studies. Finland is known for its lakes and waterways, which form part of everyday life and
hold iconic meaning in the Finnish Culture (Tauhinu & Pitkanen, 2004). Similarly, island
communities often have the sea as a major active force in their mythic history, while
American Indians may emphasise a relationship between earth and sky” (Steele 1981, p. 6).
Symbolic attachment and community identity have been used to reflect the heritage of
mining towns in Spain (Ballesteros & Ramırez, 2007). Furthermore, features such as
“geographical, social and economic isolation” are common to many mining communities
worldwide (p. 3). “Strong nostalgic feelings and the desire to preserve cultural heritage”
(Cunningham 2004, p. 505) were considered most important in a community study in the
Ogasawara Islands of Japan. Consisting of 30 islands, Ogasawara was declared a National
Park in 1994, and the community retains strong cultural links to activities in the islands
Place Attachment
111
during the Second World War. The attachment of communities living near the main
waterways of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers was examined in the USA. The
study explored community attachment to the river location and found that community
image and identity varied between the locations (Rice & Urban, 2006).
The symbolic attachment of cultures can be an emotional experience and “create intense and
heated views and lead to conflict amongst groups” (Presley, 2003, p. 27). Symbolic
attachment and conflict amongst user groups is evident in a case study of Devils Tower
Monument in the USA. The American Indians, who held a deep symbolic attachment to the
monument as a sacred site, were in conflict with the rock climbing community who were
place dependant on the site for rock climbing (Dustin, Schneider, McAvoy & Frakt, 2002).
To avoid this issue in the future requires park management to understand the meaning
attached to places by user groups.
The symbolic attachment of cultures has implication for communities displaced by natural
events or unrest. Cultures and community attachment was examined in the resettling of
immigrants (Mazumdar, Mazumdar, Docuyanan & McLaughlan, 2000; Ng, 1998). These
authors found that re-establishing the social and ritual activities of the migrant groups, helped
them to settle into the community. Low (in Griffin, Wearing & Archer, 2004, p. 265)
explains that these activities bring cultural meaning and worth to a new community because
“a symbolic relationship exists between people and places”. A study of Padampur Villages in
Nepal found that lack of consultation with the local people led to strategies that threatened the
heritage and culture of the villages and the relationship with their environment (McLean &
Straede (2003). The case study highlighted the importance of community consultation in
relationships between people and their environment.
Place Identity and Spirituality
Spiritual attachment in ancient philosophies and eastern religions began with the worship of
nature spirits (Wall, 1994). This attachment is evident in contemporary society in those with
Place Attachment
112
a great compassion for animals, as displayed by the Buddhist community (Wall, 1994), and
activists such as animal liberationists. In comparison, the Judeo-Christian traditional
religions taught the domination of nature, through which Mebratu (1998) believes the
attachment to the natural world was compromised. Ecotheology seeks to address this by
calling for reverence for nature and the continuity between humans and non-humans as a
single integrated community (Berry, 1996).
Spiritual attachment is evident in a study of the community of Nazareth, which consists of
Christian and Muslim-Arab residents. The purpose of the study was to establish the attitudes
of the community towards heritage tourism development. Uriely, Israeli & Reichel (2003)
found that the Christian minority were more likely than the Muslim majority to support the
development as it would promote their beliefs and culture. The authors also suggested that
the culture that was not promoted (Muslim-Arab) should be allowed to develop their own
sites and benefit from promoting the region as a heritage tourism site through tax incentives
and other initiatives.
The effect of wilderness attachment on spirituality has been examined (Brayley & Fox, 1998;
Driver et al., 1996; Stringer & McAvoy, 1992). A summary by Heintzman (2003) concludes
that people who visit wilderness places “alone and participate in nature orientated
experiences are more likely to experience spiritual benefits”. Likewise, some places have a
spiritual resonance for particular groups such as the rapport that Buddhists have to the
Himalayas (Frumkin, 2003), which is likened to a retreat experience at a monastery
(Ouellette, Kaplan & Kaplan, 2005), or the spiritual attachment of indigenous communities to
their ancestral land. This capacity of humans to reconnect with the earth is also an
anticipated outcome of James Lovelock’s GAIA hypothesis. A study by Kidd (2002)
examined the impact of laws that took away traditional land rights of the Australian
Aboriginal and subsequently lead to severing their spiritual attachment, which was closely
linked to the landscape. Kidd stated that from the perspective of the aboriginal community,
without traditional lands, the ancestral spirit totems that reside in the landscape, as well as the
personal and community identity of these people has disappeared. Similar to the American
Place Attachment
113
Indians, the indigenous communities linger with nowhere to direct their spirituality or anchor
their community identity.
Frumkin (2003) found that the attachment that people have with places can have either a
positive or a negative impact on a person’s wellbeing, and he concluded that health should be
synonymous with place. Additionally, religious rituals have a positive effect on place
attachment (Mazumdar & Mazumdar 1993; 2004), while the rituals of indigenous cultures
also have a positive effect in their connection with the earth through songs, chants and
prayers (Dunbar, 2000).
The spiritual and restorative aspect of the nature experience, which may include adventure
and health therapies, has been the subject of examination in the area of Ecopsychology.
Ecopsychology considers that sense of place in nature is beneficial to human wellbeing
(Devereux 1996) and when humans are separated from nature; it can lead to suffering for
both the environment and humans (Seed, 1994). Bioregionalism (Metzner, 1999) and deep
ecology (Taylor & Zimmerman, 2005) also recognise that the relationship between humans
and the environment can have mutually restorative benefits.
The restorative benefits of holidays have been reported in the tourism literature by Gilbert
and Abdullah (2004) and Mura (2004), while the restorative benefits of natural settings have
also been examined (Hartig, Kaiser & Bowler, 2001; Korpela & Hartig 1996; Korpela,
Hartig, Kaiser & Fuhrer, 2001). The first two studies examined the restorative qualities of
favourite places though the authors noted that the physiological benefits of travel had not
been adequately explored in the tourism literature. The study by Hartiz et al. (2001)
considered that people who believe the restorative aspects of nature are important also behave
more responsibly towards natural environments.
Place Attachment
114
Summary of Place Identity
Within the context of the place attachment literature, place identity refers to the
emotional/symbolic attachment to a place. A person’s past experiences is considered an
important influence in developing identity, and underlies various studies into the role of past
experience in developing place attachment (Bricker & Kerstetter, 2000; Moore & Graefe,
1994; Williams, Patterson, Roggenbuck & Watson, 1992). Furthermore environmental
education in schools is supported by Measham (2004), who found that place identity is
strongly influenced by childhood experiences, more so than by engaging in adult activities
such as land production or recreational activities.
A study by Kim and Kaplan (2004) on community identity showed that residents had a strong
sense of community identity when natural features and open spaces, which allowed social
interaction, were present. Williams (2002) stated that globalisation had removed the
traditional place based community identity, which can also occur through the integration of
communities (Dixon & Durrheim, 2004).
As place identity refers to the emotional or symbolic attachment to a place, repeat visitation
can play a significant role in strengthening this attachment (Altman & Low, 1992; Belk,
1992). A study by McCabe and Stokoe (2004, p. 602), explained the role of narrative as an
expression of place identity “…when tourists relay their experiences of a place their talk
about the place becomes their talk about their identity”.
Symbolic attachment to a place is assigned by “individuals, groups and societies, and is not
necessarily related to the physical attributes of a place” (Williams et al., 1992, p. 33). Within
communities are symbols that contribute to self-identity and a distinctive community identity.
Place identity studies generally support the view that a person’s identity is closely linked to
their community identity (Dixon & Durrheim, 2004; Fried, 2000a; Hildago & Hernandez,
2001).