Defining Place

About the lecture

In this module, we think about how geographers define the concept of place, focusing on: (i) some broad themes and variations in common understandings of place, and crucially the idea that place is more than just location – it also includes an emotional component; (ii) Stephen Daniels argument that geographers should not only study specific places, but also “the very idea of place” ; (iii) three key threads in the definition of place – that they are defined by flows of goods and people, that they have meaning, and that they are characterised by change; (iv) the contested nature of ideas about place.

About the lecturer

Professor Richard Phillips is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield. He researches geographical concepts, fieldwork, and research methods. His publications include Creative Writing for Social Research (2021, co-author), Georges Perec’s Geographies (2019, co-editor), and Fieldwork for Human Geography (2012, co-author)