Attachment to Places at Different Scales

 

But for conceptualizing place identity, a duality of local and global scales oversimplifies. Consider the simultaneous scales that Massey (1994) describes:

 "Imagine for a moment that you are on a satellite, further out and beyond all actual satellites; you can see 'planet earth' from a distance and, unusually for someone with only peaceful intentions, you are equipped with the kind of technology which allows you to see the colours of people's eyes and the numbers on their numberplates. You can see all the movement and tune in to all the communication that is going on. Furthest out are the satellites, then aeroplanes, the long haul between London and Tokyo and the hop from San Salvador to Guatemala City. Some of this is people moving, some of it is physical trade, some is media broadcasting. There are faxes, e-mail, film-distribution networks, financial flows and transactions. Look in closer and there are ships and trains, steam trains slogging laboriously up hills somewhere in Asia. Look in closer still and there are lorries and cars and buses, and on down further, somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, there's a woman - amongst many women - on foot, who still spends hours a day collecting water" (Massey 1994: 148-149).

Massey was here asking us to envision the spatial connectivity of human activities occurring across a web of interconnected scales. We are simultaneously engaged – in our cultural, economic, and political lives – with a range of local and more distant places. Awareness of these relationships is essential to understanding them.

DEPTH BOX: More on Massey's Explanation of Scale (Click here for more information)

 

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