Sociology Colloquium Research Paper: The Place Attachments of College Students

1
The Place Attachments of College Students
Deborah Tuggy
Grove City College

2
ABSTRACT
This study supports and expands Cross’ interactional framework of place attachments, which explores how
people form place attachments through interaction with others and places over time. She proposes that
place attachments are formed through seven distinct processes through which are unique in nature and
develop differently over space and time on the individual, group, or cultural level. This study expands
Cross’ research by exploring the place attachments of college students,who are in a transitory stage of life.
In addition, it responds to severalof Cross’ suggestions forfuture research by looking at the historic
process in greater depth, by noting the role of social relationships in the formation of place attachments,
and by looking at the impact of negative emotion on place attachments.
Key words
Place attachment; college; processes ofplace attachment; interactional processes

3
THE STUDY
Jennifer Eileen Cross recently published a study in the Journal of Symbolic Interactionism called
“Processes of Place Attachment: An Interactional Framework” which explored how people form place
attachments through interaction with others and places over time. She discovered that attachments to place
are built through seven processes: sensory, narrative, historical, spiritual, ideological, commodifying, and
material dependence.These attachments are unique in nature and develop differently over space and time on
the individual, group, or cultural level. Her study did not, however, look at the dynamic of place attachments
during transitory stages of life, such as college. As a college student myself, I saw potential in exploring this
aspect of place attachments. College is a weird in-between time in life where students leave home with the
goal of earning a degree to start their career in the real world. It plays a huge role in the development of the
self for many people but no one has investigated how going to college impacts place attachments.
Therefore, I decided to study place attachments during college. I hypothesize that I will find
evidence to support Cross’processes of place attachment, and also that for people in a transitory stage of life
these processes will function differently than they do for those in more stable times in life such as childhood
or settled adults. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to discover the nature of these differences in
attachment to place.
Before delving into this study, it is necessary to define place and place attachment. According to
Cross, place is “space that has been imbued with meaning through personal, group, and cultural processes”
(Low and Altman 1992). Secondly, Place attachment is a “positive, affective bond people form with
particular places where they feel comfortable and safe and desire to maintain their connection” (Cross 2015;
Hidalgo and Hernandez 2001; Low 1992). From a “constructivist approach,” Cross argues that “place
attachment is the interactional processes of associating place with meanings and emotional affection which
may occur at the individual, group, or cultural level.”
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

4
This study is largely based on the work of Jennifer Eileen Cross, “Processes of Place Attachment:
An Interactional Framework.” Cross’ findings expand on previous research by proposing a comprehensive
framework of the multiple individual and cultural processes throughwhich place attachments are formed and
maintained, which no one had done before. In the past, researchers of different disciplines had established
how place attachments are “establish, maintained, and recreated.” Cross conducts a thorough review of the
literature which describes how these various disciplines have expanded the research on place attachments.
Place Attachments as Dynamic Experiences
The first discipline which is interested in place attachment theories are the phenomenologists.They
do not see science as objective but examine the dynamic processes of experience and consciousness.Thus,
their theory of place attachment is the most process-oriented (Cross 2015).
David Seamon (1979, 2014) argues that place attachments develop through the process of what he
calls, “body-ballet”, or moving the body across space and time while using language to give meaning to
sensory experiences. Thus the processes of place attachment come through sensory experience, association
of identity with place, and committing to care for place. Two similar additional processes are that of place
creation, which changes a place in positive ways through the actions ofpeople and place intensification which
strengthens place through the independent power of policy, design, and fabrication.
Manzo (2003) found that “people’s emotional relationship to places (1) encompass a broad range of
places and emotions, (2) are dynamic and ever-changing, and (3) exist within a larger sociopolitical milieu.”
Positive experiences create attachment because ofthe “desire to maintain connection to a place and the senses
of safety and comfort” (Hernández et al.2007).
In contrast, negative experiences also impact place attachments. Cross argues through a review of
the literature that “changes in life course (Rubinstein and Parmelee 1992) or (involuntary) changes in place
(Erikson 1976; Fried 1963; Manzo, Kleit, and Couch 2008; Milligan 1998) can disrupt place attachments.”
Brown and Perkins (1992) advanced this idea by exploring the difference between voluntary and involuntary

5
disruptions. They found that often, “voluntary disruptions in place are associated with increased place
attachments while involuntary disruptions create a sense of loss and diminished attachments.”
Cross summarizes all of these studies saying that they showhowplace attachments are dynamic and
changing as the conditions and meanings about those conditions change (Devine-Wright 2011;
Milligan 1998).
Discursive and Constructive Perspectives
The discursive perspective focuses attention on the interactional nature of place attachment
processes through which “place meanings are collectively created, shared, and maintained (Auburn and
Barnes 2006; Di Masso, Dixon, and Durrheim 2014).
Di Masso, Dixon, and Durrheim (2014) posited that place attachments are formed linguistically
through interaction with individuals who “co-construct the meaning of places and person-place
relationships.” These discursive processes of place attachment form person-place bonds which are “(1)
created through interaction as people routinely talk about themselves in places,(2) used to accomplish various
kinds of social and rhetorical work, and (3) are entwined with other ideological traditions that are used to
justify sociospatial entitlements” (Di Masso, Dixon, and Durrheim 2014; Dixon and Durrheim 2000).
Per Gustafson (2001a) suggested a process oriented definition of place attachment in which “a
meaningful place appears as a process, where various individual (and collective) projects converge and/or
compete with other projects, with external events, and with the course of time” (Gustafson 2001a:13).
Cross summarizes these studies saying that “place attachments are formed through personalstories
about place as well as ideological traditions that make normative claims about place and who belongs. By
examining the narrative, cultural, and ideological processes ofplace construction,these theorists are shifting
the focus from individual experience to the narrative practices used to create, maintain, and challenge place
attachments.”

6
Types of Attachment
Setha Low (1992) identified six distinct cultural place attachments processes – genealogical,
narrative, loss and destruction,economic, celebratory cultural events, and cosmological – which he argued
are distinct processes that “occur together in time and space and experience.”
Robert Hay (1998) looked at the various gradations of the historic process of place attachment:
personal, familial, ancestral, and cultural. Other studies explore the narrative process which individuals
create a “sense of belonging and identity to places” by learning “about the history of a place, the cultural
meanings of that place, their place as individuals in both the landscape and the culture, and stake a claim
about their membership in community” (Basso 1996; Dominy 2001; Sampson and Goodrich 2009;
Cresswell 1996).
Cross concludes her literature review by explaining that “these recent studies confirm Low's
argument that there are several processes shaping place attachment, and support the constructivist view that
place attachments are dynamic, shifting across place and space, and interactional.”
An Interactional Framework of Place Attachment
Cross goes on to expand the previous research by proposing an Interactional Framework of Place
Attachment. She reports in her research how people form place attachment through interactions with others
and places over time. In her study Cross “describes place attachment as the interactional processes—
continuous series ofactions and interactions—throughwhich people create meaning and affective bonds with
places” (Cross 2015). Table 1 (Cross 2015) delineates each of Cross’ seven processes ofplace attachment –
sensory, narrative, historical, spiritual, ideological, commodifying, and material dependence.

7
These processes are distinct and co-occurring and change over time. Cross’ model focuses on the “ongoing
actions, interactions, and meaning making that bond people to places. Place attachments are created in the
intersection of experience and meaning, which occur simultaneously through several processes and at the
individual, interpersonal, and cultural levels” (Cross 2015).
METHODS
Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that there are at least seven processes of place attachment formation: sensory,
narrative, historical, spiritual, ideological, commodifying, and material dependence.Each process is unique
in nature and develop differently overspace and time on the individual, group, or cultural level. Furthermore,

8
for people in a transitory stage of life such as college, these processes function differently than they do for
those in more stable times in life such as childhood or settled adults.I did not know what the nature of these
differences would be, as there is no literature looking at this particular aspect of place attachment, so this
project is exploratory.
Data Collection
Originally I planned on conducting qualitative interviews, but due to time constraints I decided to
do focus group discussions.Iorganized three groups and talked with twenty-two students total.For the most
part, these people knew each other and me, so discussion was natural. For two of the three groups, I asked
the students to bring a friend with them and severaldid. I recorded these discussions with everyone’s consent.
The first two focus groups were essential for me to test out my research questions and develop my theory,
and by the third focus group I had settled on the questions I would ask the rest of the participants. The nature
of my questions didn’t change, but I did tweak the wording a little to get at exactly what I wanted to know.
In order to save time and allow for a bigger sample, I came up with the idea to send out open ended
surveys via email to the twenty one students who agreed to participate and signed an informed consent form.
I was able to get in depth,first impression answers which I could then ask clarifying or follow up questions
if necessary.
Sampling
Research for this project was conducted at a four-year undergraduate college of approximately 2,500
students. This college is a private, Christian, liberal arts and sciences institution located in the eastern
Midwest with a traditionally-aged student body. It is notable for being conservative politically and
religiously. It is coed with around a 50/50 gender ratio. The student body is over 95% White.
I used convenience, snowball, and theoretical sampling. First, I recruited most of my friends to
participate because I knew they would be more willing to answer and feel comfortable talking with me.
Second, I asked students in the focus groups to bring a friend with them. Several did so,thus expanding my

9
sample. Thirdly, I talked to specific people that I knew had unique backgrounds that were of interest to me.
I surveyed and talked to a total of forty three students of varying years, genders, and backgrounds.
The criticism could fairly be raised that surveys administered to and focus groups conducted with
these students did not produce a representative sample because they were almost all people that I know
personally and many know each other.However, the sample represents students fromliberal arts and sciences
along with engineering and other disciplines. Additionally, participants came from widely diverse
backgrounds for the purposes of this study and several are from other countries or are second generation
Americans.
Having noted this, however, it is significant that the age range of respondents, the nature of the
college itself, and the relative homogeneity of the student body certainly limit the generalizability of the
results. In other words, the characteristics of the sample certainly differs from national norms of the general
population or the college-aged population in the U.S. Generalizability, therefore, is broadly limited to the
sampled campus and, perhaps weakly, to other college students ofsimilar age, background, and institutions
of higher learning with similar academic, cultural and organizational characteristics and missions.
ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
The data was collected through asking ten questions looking at different facets of the processes of
place attachment. What I found supports Cross’s Interactional Process of Place Attachment Framework and
expands on that to look at the nature of these processes of attachment during college. Additionally, I
uncovered some extraordinary nuances of these processes which Cross did not consider.
Manifestations of the Processes:
One such aspect is that of the history processes of place attachments. Cross argues that the
biographical, genealogical, and ancestralplace attachment processes are “three levels of the same attachment
process—linkage to place through experiencing ordinary and defining events and connecting them to
personal, family, or cultural history” (Cross). This process of Historical attachment is the “process of
accumulating experience in a place and creating meaning about those experiences that tie both ordinary and

10
significant life events to a particular place as well as to the history of a place.” The biographical component
is the personal history a person has in a place, whereas ancestral and genealogical are more from the
accumulated history of society in a place overtime. Jordan describes both of these components when talking
about home:
For me home is the place I grew up; Bellwood, Pa. Almost all of my family lives there and
I have been around them my whole life. It’s a small town and not very advanced by any
means, but it is a comfortable town to live in where it is common to know almost everyone
you pass in a day. I live outside of town on the edge of the woods and I am very familiar
with the forest there. That has been a wonderful place to go and get my mind off whatever
is happening elsewhere. The land I live on has been in my family for several generations
and I feel a bit of a tie to it because of that.
Jordan talks about his own personal history of knowing the forest and going there to recharge. He
separately mentions that the land is especially meaningful to him because it has genealogical history in his
family. He has no personal memory of this history, but the tie is still there.
I would argue that although ancestralhistory and personalhistory are closely related and are part of
the same process,they are distinct and need to be discussed separately fromeach other. This is because while
genealogical or ancestral ties to a place may shape our culture and our Self at a deep level, they are often
unconscious or distant.This is particularly true in a relatively new country like the United States, in which
most ancestral memory of a particular place is only a few generations old. Additionally, the culture of the
United States tends to be transitory in that people leave home at a certain age to go to college and get a job.
So typically, genealogical or ancestral history in a particular place is not as foundational in the development
of the Self. In contrast,the personalaccumulation of experience and creating meaning about those experience
is a present memory in the Self of those who experience that memory directly. Thus, for the purposes ofthis
study Iwill distinguish between ancestral/genealogicalhistory (which I will call the ancestralhistory process)
and biographical history (which I will call the biographical history process),though I recognize that they are
part of the same process of place attachment.

11
The second aspect that plays a huge role in people’s attachment to places is social ties. Many of
Cross’ processes are social in nature and I wouldn’t go so far as to say that social ties are a unique process in
and of itself, but I would say it must be emphasized as a major factor in the creation of attachments through
different processes. This is because participants themselves spoke of these attachments as being separate.
“It’s not the place, but the people” emerged as a common theme throughout the study. This was
fascinating because Idid not prompt this at all, and yet overand overagain participants made this distinction
very clearly when talking about theirattachments to home. In one focus group,Andy and his brother,Ralphio,
expressed this while talking about how their attachments to home have shaped who they are today.
I don’t know that the homes themselves have necessarily changed who I amI think it’s the
memories and the stuff that’s happened.Like I don’t know that it’s the physical location,
it’s more like time with my family or friends in my home that’s shaped who I amtoday.
Although this sentiment was conveyed by participants of a variety of backgrounds,it was especially
present among those who had moved frequently, had experienced a significant move or had bad memories
associated with the place they considered home. This was especially noticeable when talking about
attachments on campus. When describing her attachments on campus, Linda articulates this theme:
I think for me I get attached not so much to the places around campus cause I know it’s
temporary but it’s more the people because I know those can last like that relationship and
friendships can last a lot longer so that’s what I get attached to and that’s what makes it
homey.
The temporary nature of college means that there is not adequate time or emotional capacity for the
formation of attachments to the place itself, but students do form strong attachments with people because
they recognize that these deep friendships can last far beyond the four years that they are physically living
together.
Cross focused mainly on the different processes of place attachment in her analysis of the data
without detailing the particular ways that people answered specific questions. While I also have discussed

12
these processes,I found that each individual question reveals unique and captivating information about the
nature of these processes as they are played out over the life process of a college student.
Sensory and narrative processes were exhibited when describing attachments to home, significant
places, and campus. The historical process in the ancestral sense was only mentioned when talking about
attachments to home. The historical process in the biographical sens e was seen throughout all attachments.
None ofthe respondents mentioned a spiritualattachment to a place, which does in part confirm Cross’theory
because it is such a rare occurrence and difficult to articulate. The ideological, commodifying, and material
dependence processes were showcased in a move, in the decision to come to college, and in ideal places to
live after college. Kelly vocalizes five of these seven processes in describing her childhood home and then
moving to a new house – sensory, narrative, biographical, commodifying, and material dependence:
I think my old house was super small like I said (sensory). And I think what made it so
sentimental was growing up and remembering all the memories that happened there like I
can mentally picture walking through the rooms of the house (biographical)…there’s a
little hole in this one closet you can see through to the basement! You can like spy on
people down there, which I did! *laughter* (narrative.) And ah… I knew how to go down
the hallway without making the floorboards creak. And I helped refinish the floor and like
I know that house and it’s weird that other people live there now. But I could – this sounds
so weird – but if I broke into the house I would know like how to get around cause I KNOW
the house! *laughter* like I grew up there. I’m not gonna do that (biographical). But um
yeah. The new house is bigger and it’s mostly we got it for my grandparents because it had
a good place for them and it’s kind of a good place to put our stuff (material dependence).
And yeah it’s where my parents live. And they’re already talking about moving out and
going to a smaller place cause it’s too much to clean. And it just isn’t... I mean there’s my
room and it’s painted purple cause that’s the color I wanted but like you know it’s just– it’s
just a house (commodifying).

13
It’s interesting to see how Kelly’s attachments to places are different depending on the type of
process at work in each place. As shown above,in describing her childhood home she spoke fondly of it and
her memories there, displaying attachment through the sensory, biographical, and narrative processes. She
illustrates her attachments to the new house through the processes of material dependence and commodity.
To her, it is “just a house” because she has less history there.
Ten Questions:
In the data I found that though these processes of place attachment are present for everyone, they
work in unique ways for each individual. A few trends surfaced as participants responded to the ten questions.
1. What does it mean to feel at home?
Most participants agreed that to feel at home they must feel comfortable and be surrounded by the
people they love. Other words and phrases commonly used to describe feeling at home were relaxing, safe,
a place you can be yourself, a place that is restorative, a feeling of belonging, familiar, a place you have
memories or history, and a place where you are known. Jess sums up the general consensus that “’feeling at
home’ is when I feel entirely comfortable and loved in a place, as though I belong there. The place has to be
familiar to me and normally has many happy memories.”
Many, such as Jen, express that they feel at home through sensory experiences which remind them
of home:
For me whenever it’s more sunny it feels more like home. And whenever I see mountains.
Not fake mountains. But real mountains. Not Hills but Mountains . Even if it’s not in
Colorado that’s very comforting because that’s what I grew up around. So the other day
they had mowed the lawns and I was walking out and I smelled that fresh cut grass smell.
And was like “AH! This feels like home.” And it was sunny and it was blue skies and so
that to me kind of just makes me feel comfortable.

14
This demonstrates that even when people aren’t in the place they call home, they can still be
reminded of home through sensory experience.
2. What place do you call home?
Most students have strong attachments to home which were expressed through the sensory,
narrative, historical, and biographical processes ofattachment. Several ofthese processes can be seen at work
as George describes the place he calls home:
I’ve lived in Cazenovia NY since I was 9 – so about 13 years now. It’s a small rural village
south of Syracuse by about 40 minutes. My neighborhood is on Oxbow Rd. – the name
taken from the loop at the end of the road. We live right at the base of a hill that stretches
behind all the neighborhood houses. In the spring everything is insanely green – a much
richer green than I’ve ever seen here in PA. During the summer the weeds on the hill grow
up to yourchest and Imow every week just to keep the grass nearthe house at an acceptable
height. During the fall the leaves are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like the colors of
central NY during the fall. I have a hard time describing it to anyone that hasn’t been there
except everything just feels so much fresher. The winter always hits hard and the biggest
winter we ever had there was insane. The drifts on the side of the road was enormous and
we had about a twenty foot stretch of it all tunneled out.We had sleds for doors and during
the blizzards we could tramp through the snow, open our door and fit a few friends in our
“snow longhouse.” A lot of my memories of the winters are just how much shoveling of
our driveway my sister, dad, and I did.
George’s attachment to home is strongly connected to the sensory process as he recalls the colors
of central New York as well as the narrative process as he talks about the harsh winters there.
Justin describes his attachment to this city through the ancestrally historic and narrative processes
by recounting the key facts about his city which bring him pride in his heritage:

15
I call Rochester, NY home. I have lived in the suburbs Rochestermy whole life (20 years,
including the time I’ve been at Grove City) but have lived in different parts of Rochester.
Located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, and as the metropolitan center of western
New York, Rochester has a population of roughly 200,000. It is the third largest city in
New York State, behind New York City and Buffalo. We’re known being the world
headquarters for the Eastman Kodak company, as well as the birthplace of Xerox and
Bausch & Lomb. Our major universities, the University of Rochester and the Rochester
Institute ofTechnology,have renowned research programs. We’re also known for ourcold
and snowy winters. Originally known as the “Flour City” due to its many flour mills
located along the Genesee River, Rochester became known as the “Flower City” in 1850
due to the growing seed companies in Rochester, which had now grown to the largest in
the world. Today, we have an annual Lilac Festival in the spring to celebrate our pride in
our heritage.
This shows that for people who relate strongly to the culture of a place, the historic facts and cultural
narratives play a large part in their identity with that place.
3. How has moving OR growing up in one place impacted the way you form attachments today?
Overall, most students indicate that they make new attachments easily and/orhave deep attachments
to home. There were several general trends which have noteworthy implications.
Firstly, those who grew up in the same place or who moved within the area tend to have strong
attachments to home. For example, Violet grew up in the same house and she indicates how this has shaped
who she is:
I tend to be a very loyal person. I think my parents greatly demonstrated the significance
of loyalty and stability, and that’s probably evidenced by the fact that they’ve spent most
of their life in the same town which is 15 minutes from the town in which they grew up.

16
They’ve done a lot of traveling and I definitely inherited the love for that, but they and I
also love coming home.
Those who experienced a significant move (one which was emotionally difficult or across a far
distance) or who moved frequently tend to describe weaker attachments to the physical place and difficulty
forming new attachments. They usually place more emphasis on being attached to the people in that place.
Growing up, Andres moved a lot in Mexico and in the United States, and demonstrates this sentiment as he
calls to mind how moving frequently affected him:
I understand that people and places come and go. It makes me think whether or not is
worth it to found strong bonds with people and places. I consider myself to be a quite
detached individual. The little emotional attachment that I develop is with people and
places with whom I interact almost daily for very long periods of time. The longer and the
more frequent, the more “real” are my attachments.
This leads into a striking feature of place attachment,which Cross suggested needs furtherresearch.
That is the impact of negative memory on place attachment. Many students mentioned this when talking
about their attachments to home and to the campus. As there are more mentions of this phenomenon later in
the questions, I will analyze it further in the discussion of this study.
Neither of these situations (growing up moving frequently or in the same place) indicated whether
the individual would want to put down roots or would want to branch out, but they did inform the reason
behind this desire. Both April and Leslie grew up moving frequently. Leslie wants to move constantly
because she wants adventure:
Leslie: I…well, I’ll give you some background. I moved 18 times in the first 11 years of
my life. So for me it’s affected me in that it makes me want to… I get stir crazy and I can’t
stay in one place and I’m thirsty for adventures and see new things and do new things and
like my family was always either moving or traveling even though we weren’t moving and
so basically, moving cause we would stay different places for extended periods of time.

17
But I mean I think my brother was affected differently cause he because of that he wants
to never leave Bradford. But me, I’m like no I’ve seen better things I need to go see more
better things!
In contrast, April desires to stay in one place because she wants to have roots somewhere:
April: Yeah I think since we moved so much growing up it makes me want to stay put and
not go anywhere and just like I wanna pick a spot and stay there forever.
Thus, for each individual these processes function uniquely.
4. Why did you come to Grove City
Most students chose the college based on ideological, commodifying, and material dependence
processes. Ray expressed all three of these processes:
One of the major reasons that I came to GCC what honestly that I felt that I could feel at
home here. When I visited the campus, the people I met really made me feel welcome and
accepted. In addition, I really appreciated the academic excellence that Grove City offers.
As showcased by Ray’s response,most students mentioned typical commodifying answers such as
wanting a small, Christian school with a good community. They demonstrate material dependence by
choosing a school that was affordable with good academics. Some noted that they had siblings or relatives
who attend or work here, and a few students said their guidance counselors or pastors had recommended it.
Anotherresponse that came up frequently articulated the ideological process was that “it felt right”, “it felt
like home”, and “it felt like it was where God wanted me.”
5. How has moving to Grove City College impacted your attachments to home?
Moving to Grove City College tends to strengthen student’s relationships with theirfamily and made
them appreciate home more while also developing their independence.Violet describes the dynamic change
and expansion in her attachment to home as she becomes more independent:

18
I think it has both increased my attachments to home and family and also made me more
independent—which I suppose is half the goal of going to college, so that’s not really a
new idea. It has definitely given me a greater appreciation for the peace of home and the
woods and my mom’s cooking. I also have a greater appreciation for time with my family
because it’s even rarer. But at the same time, I am also more excited to have my own
home—I have come to feel a little more like a guest in my home (although it is by far the
homiest, coziest, most comfortable place I’ve been to). It’s not because I feel less attached
to my home, but I guess just more that I’ve grown more independent and ready for my own
home.
However, some students,suchas Beth,found that they feelless attached to home now that they have
lived away from it.
I definitely don’t feel quite as attached to home as before, but it’s still my home and I love
going back to it. I just don’t miss it so much when I’m not there anymore.
6. How has temporality of college impacted your attachments on campus?
I had a special interest in how participants would answer this question,as it is central to what I am
exploring in this study. How does the temporary nature of the college institution impact the formation of
place attachments? I had somewhat expected students to say that they had a hard time forming attachments
to a place they knew they would leave soon.This would make sense on an emotional level in order to protect
themselves from the inevitable heartbreak to come when they have to say goodbye. However, I found this
wasn’t the case at all. Many students responded saying that this made them want to make the most of their
time at college and take advantage of the opportunities they have. Leslie expresses her awareness of the
temporality of college:
I have been very aware of the shortness of college the entire time we’ve been here pretty
much. I remember after the first semester freshman year was over I was like “shoot that
went by so fast! College is gonna be over tomorrow basically.” So I wanna make sure –

19
I’ve tried to make sure – that I’m taking advantage of the opportunities that we have here
and getting involved in the things that I care about and spending time with my friends
because I know after this I’m never gonna see themthis often ever again.
Like Leslie, students tend to want to invest in deep friendships. Violet reveals another tendency in
being more selective in choosing friends, and invest in and strengthen those friendships so they will last
beyond college.
It drives me to invest more in the people here who I really care about.I don’t want to lose
touch with the people whom I have grown to love dearly. I think it might also make me a
little choosier about who I really attach myself to—I want to form connections with people
who will also invest in me and encourage me in my relationship with God and want to
support me and walk alongside me through life.
Those who are upperclassmen had the insight that at first they didn’t think much about leaving and
often made a lot of new friends every year, but now they realize they don’t have much time so they are
investing all their time in those friendships that are the most meaningful to them.
Beth: At least for this year, I think it’s actually made my attachments stronger.I know I’m
leaving soon and that makes me remember all the good memories here and the fact that
I’m going to miss it when I’m gone.The otheryears I never think very much about the fact
that I would leave GCC.
Occasionally, students like April said that college has always been something very transitional and
goal oriented. This makes them focused on the goal of earning a degree but also enjoying a few close
friendships:
I’m just weird. I’ve always seen college as a very goal oriented thing. You go to college to
get your degree so you can go to grad schoolso you can get your degree so you can get a
job and I’ve always viewed college as a very transitionary time… Like I don’t necessarily
enjoy college that much. I try to, like for my own sanity, I try to find joy in every day and

20
in my friendships that I have and there are some things that I really enjoy about it but I
definitely, because I see it as such a transition time from like being a child to like being an
adult it’s like something you have to do.You know? I would say it’s probably affected like
my relationships. Like as a freshman I was like well what’s the point of meeting people
I’m gonna graduate in four years and we’re never gonna see each other again, you know?
So but I’m glad that didn’t keep me from meeting anyone or getting close to anyone. But
yeah. I’ve always been very aware of the fact of that it’s a very goal oriented time in life
so it’s little weird for me.
April and Beth mentioned here anotherremarkable feature of place attachments during college; that
of the change in attitudes and behaviors throughout the progression fromfreshman to senior year.
Many students chose a schoolthat was far away because they wanted an adventure,or wanted to get
away from home. Over time, they realized that distance really does make the heart grow fonder as they grew
to appreciate home more. Several people, like Morgana, also expressed that “now it’s a pain to have to fly
home for every holiday.” Some students like April explain how they have grown over time. Lisa describes
how she has changed since freshman year:
I guess looking back – I’m a sophomore – and so last year it was a rough start I guess I feel
like I was just anxious all the time about like meeting new people and getting started – I
don’t know. But then second semesterit was a lot better and now I just feel so much more
comfortable with the relationships I’ve made and some of my best friends are here and
grown me as a person and like he said, it’s grown me in my confidence also.
A lot ofseniors like Beth showa change in behavioras they approach graduation. Many stop actively
seeking out new friends and instead invest in their closest relationships which they know will last beyond
college.
7. Can you describe your attachments here?

21
Attachments on campus are described through narrative,sensory,ideological and personalhistorical
processes.Generally speaking, people’s attachments on campus tend to be the people, rather than the places
on campus themselves. Noah discusses his attachments here on campus:
I joined a fraternity my freshman year and became an RA for the fraternity hall this year.
Both these aspects of my time here have allowed some incredible bonding and
spiritual/emotional growth. I’m also a biology major which has been exhausting and a ton
of work (especially my first two years). That aspect has been incredibly stressfuland has
demanded a ton of time, inhibiting the amount of time I can spend with others/doing things
for fun. I know the work is worth it in the long run (I want to go to med school) but it’s
definitely prevented any attachments forming. Any fondness orattachment associated with
GCC is definitely from the relationships I’ve formed here and not the place itself.
Most students feel at home here, because they have grown accustomed to the location and the
routine, and have made life-long friends. However, for many of them, even if they “feel at home” they don’t
consider it to be “home.” This may be because,as evidenced by Noah, college is an exhausting place where
it is difficult to find rest. Restoration is vital to creating positive emotions in regards to place so if such rest
is absent, it’s difficult to form attachments to that place.
8. What is your favorite place on campus?
Most people responded that their favorite place is their room or their hall. Using the sensory and
biographical processes of place attachment, April explains why her room is her favorite place.

22
My room is my favorite place. Cause that’s where I do all my homework, it’s where I hang
out, it just like comfortable there. And I have my fishes and my little yellow couch. It’s
just a nice little place.
People named the SAC, STEM, the Peacock Room, the prayer loft of Rathburn, the picnic area by
Wolf Creek, and the Chapel Garden as other favorite places on campus.
James, who grew up in a rural area and feels most at home in nature describes his favorite places on
campus and likewise expresses the sensory biographical processes:
Honestly, mine’s changed recently. I used to be for the longest time if I ever needed to
think or just meditate or do devotions or stuff. Down on the otherside of the chapel facing
the garden there which nobody goes into except occasionally there’s a couple like making
out there which is really awkward *laughter* but when there’s NOT a couple making out
there, those little stone steps that lead up to the side door. Especially in the summer time
there’s bushes on this side and the tree’s over-grown. And if you sit just right everything’s
cut off and all you can see is the garden. And it’s really beautiful. But I found down by
Wolf Creek right before you get to the picnic tables there’s this huge pine tree and it’s
usually pretty dry under there and you can just sit there and watch the stream and I’ve gone
down there a couple times and I usually end up falling asleep while studying *laughter*
and I love it! It’s quiet, nobody’s ever down there anyway so it’s really nice!
Violet explains that her favorite place on campus feels more at home to her because the ceilings are
low like they are at home:
I love the peacock room in south lobby—it’s quiet, warm, homey, and private. I did a
January intersession this year and I spent pretty much all day, every day in that room. I
love the fireplace and the books and the window. And it helps to not have the high
ceilings—for some reason that always reminds me that I’m at an institution and not at a
home . . .

23
Students describe their favorite places as being restorative because they associate it with positive
emotions and memories. April’s favorite place is her favorite because it’s where she spends the most time
whereas James and Violet love their favorite place because it reminds them of home.
9. What do you think you’ll miss the most when you leave?
Almost every single participant responded, like Neil, that they would miss the people and living
close to their friends.
Neil: I know I’ll miss the people at Grove City the most, they’ve been some of the best
influences on me in my life and they always make me feel welcome and accepted for who
I am. I’ve experienced so much growth because ofthe good influences I’ve had from people
that without them I would be completely different and probably a much more immoral
person.
Some other responses included sports, learning constantly, the security of the campus, the “cheap
as heck” print services, and professors.
10. Looking to the future, what criteria would you look for in choosing your ideal place to live?
The way that people described their ideal place was intriguing because often their ideal place was
informed by the type of place they grew up. For example, if they grew up in a rural area like Violet, they
tended to want to live in a rural area.
I would love a place that’s more in the country—Ilove woods,if you couldn’t tell. I would
love to have some space,outside and inside. Of course,cost will have a huge influence on
where I live first after school. But eventually I’d like a sort of ranch-style house with a
porch and land to go with it. I don’t want to be far away from civilization, but I also want
a little privacy. Comfortable furniture, warm colors, people I love, not loads of rules, fresh
air . . . I like having all four seasons.Iprefer fall, I think, but they all have their merits. Not

24
right next doorto my parents,but I would like to be close enough to see themfairly often—
I want my kids to love their grandparents.
Those who grew up in the suburbs, like Noah, typically want to live in the suburbs after college.
Noah expresses the commodifying and sensory processes as he comments on his ideal place:
Probably something relatively small but comfortable (cozy). I’ve always loved older
houses because Ithink they have more personality than newer homes. Honestly I wouldn’t
even mind an apartment for some time after college before I have a family. Maybe some
art on the walls, wood furniture, record player. Not too many things in there to make it
cluttered but enough so that it doesn’t feel empty. Ideally in a location more suburban
(more like North Jersey where I’m from rather than like a more rural place like Grove City)
because of the accessibility (so much more to do/see/eat in a closer radius).
Similarly to Noah, almost everyone said they wanted to have access to nature, necessary stores,
cities with things to do, and a great community of neighbors.
Raul’s ideal place is based on the commodifying and material dependence processes.
Honestly any time I imagine myself getting out of college I see myself living in a crappy
efficiency apartment… I keep imagining this place and I’m like “wow why am I imagining
this place?” But before when my teacher asked me to draw my ideal house and I drew this
hut thing with like straws and stuff *laughter* and I just noticed that I love living in these
small places. That’s why I … even back in my dorm I’d hang out in my room and I was
like “wow I could see myself living in a place like this when I get out of college.” Like in
the city maybe like this small room or apartment back in Erie or something. I guess just
living with some people nearby. You know like neighbors that are actually neighbors
beside you.
Like him, many students will choose their ideal place to live based on realistic material needs,such
as following a job and living in an affordable small house.

25
Additionally, some people said they want to live where they can find a good church ora conservative
community which exhibits the ideological process of place attachment.
DISCUSSION
Cross’ interactional framework of place attachments proposes that there are at least seven processes
of place attachment. Each process is distinct, co-occurring, and dynamic across time and space at an
individual and cultural level. This research has supported her findings by demonstrating the following three
components of place attachment: first, “each has a unique relationship with time and space,” second, “they
occur simultaneously at the individual, group, and cultural levels,” and third, “they are interactional, having
both unique and interactive effects on an individual's place attachment.” Moreover, the findings support my
hypothesis that these processes would work in unique ways for people who are living in a temporary place.
Finally, I responded to several of Cross’ suggestions for further research.
This research explores a unique part of the life cycle which offers an intriguing perspective on each
place attachment process’relationship to time. College only lasts for four years,so these processes must work
at an accelerated pace within a condensed and limited amount of time as students form new attachments on
their campus and their attachments to home change over their time at college.
It is evident, therefore, that the process of personal history is inclined to deepen and grow
attachments over time as students remember their positive experiences in a place. The narrative process may
either weaken or strengthen attachments overtime as students select stories to tell about their experiences in
a place. The sensory process tends to strengthen attachments over time as students remember their sensory
experiences at home. Similarly, as students become familiar with their new surroundings on campus they
begin to feel comfortable and can find refreshing places to relax or experience sensory input that reminds
them of home. The ideological process is palpable at a college such as Grove City, which is full of people
who are there with the common goal of earning a degree among a community of like-minded students.This
process is generally static over their time, but will likely change as they graduate.A longitudinal study which
follows students aftercollege would disclose the nature of this process.The commodifying process plays a

26
huge part in the selection of a school, as does the material dependence process.Both typically to fade over
time, but the material dependence remains important for the duration of students time in the college place.
Thus, for each individual, place attachments are dynamic across time.
As Cross discovered,some of these place attachments such as the narrative and historical processes
are more closely tied to social experience while others such as the sensory process are more related to
individual experience. Thus, each process may be “psychological, social, or both in nature” (Cross 2015.)
I responded to Cross’ suggestion for future research by examining how attachments to one place
influence attachments to other places. Students have recently moved away from home and it is easy to see
how each place attachment is formed across multiple places and how these new attachments “inform their
experiences and bonds in all of those places” (Cross 2015). Place attachments develop across multiple places
because they last long after we leave places. These features become more pronounced for upperclassmen
who have grown more independent from home yet appreciate it more than before.
In addition to supporting Cross’ framework and exploring the nature of place attachments in a
temporary place, I expanded Cross’ research by responding to her suggestions for future research. I further
inspected these general processes to reveal noteworthy facets of the process of personal history. This
discovery answers her call to inquire into the “interplay of personal (individual) and cultural (social) linkages
to place” (Cross 2015). In the past, researchers have understood the historic process of place attachment as
being made up of three components: ancestral, genealogical, and biographical (Cross 2015; Hay 1998). I
found that while these three components are closely related and part of the same process, they are distinct
and should be discussed separately. The ancestral or genealogical processes are distant and play a part in
creating the culture that shapes an individual. This individual has no personalmemory of these attachments,
but know about them as others narrate stories to them or describe their own personal history in a place. In
contrast,the biographical process is exceedingly personalto a particular individual. It is their own memories
and experiences within their life time which shape their self and their attachments overtime. While personal,
this process is not necessarily only psychological but has a social angle as well because experiences and
memories often involve interactions with other people.

27
This research draws a distinction between attachments to place and attachments to people. Cross
and other researchers have mentioned that places are “repositories and contexts within which interpersonal,
community, and cultural relationships occur, and it is to those social relationships, not just place qua place,
to which people are attached” (Low and Altman 1992:7).
Cross recognizes that social relationships play a role in many processes ofplace attachment,but she
did not note that these relationships sometimes stand alone. This is what I have found in my research, and I
have placed greater emphasis on this distinction and the importance of these relationships in the formation
of place attachments. I found that respondents themselves clearly drew this distinction over and over again
as they told me, “it’s not the place, but the people that I’m attached to or that have shaped me.” Thus, it is
evident that because place is the platform for social interaction, place attachments and people attachments
are distinct yet closely linked. Future research should develop this dynamic in greater depth.
Anotherkey recommendation that Cross advocates is to further explore the complexities of person-
place relationships. This research does so by investigating the impact of negative emotions associated with
places. Often, bad memories and the subsequent negative emotions lead to weakened attachments to the
places associated with these experiences. June who associates Grove City College with “studying,stressing,
and missing home” so while she does have a few close friends with whom she has formed attachments,she
has not developed attachments with the campus itself.
Occasionally these experiences shape the self in positive ways because the individual keeps a
positive outlook and is able to form new attachments to places they associate with good memories. Joan
grew up moving constantly and has bad memories associated with these places. As such,she is not attached
to these places, but is to her family, which remained a constant in her life. Additionally, her negative
experiences helped her to move on and travel to new places where she can make new memories. Another
example is that of Ben, who grew up living in the same place but was isolated from any sort of social
interaction. The negative emotions associated with this caused him to want to branch out and form
attachments to new places. As such, he went to college far away from home and has found a strong
community of friends.

28
If attachments to places are non-existent as consequence of negative emotions, the impact on the
self is detrimental. Andres moved frequently both in Mexico and in the United States. He is not attached to
anything otherthan his parents, and has a difficult time forming new attachments both to places and to people.
Even on campus he doesn’t expect to carry on relationships with people after college. The positive that comes
out of this situation is that Andres desires to settle down in one place to provide a more stable home for his
children in the future, because he recognizes the detrimental effect that moving had on the formation of
himself.
These findings show that negative emotions have unique effects on each individual’s attachment to
places. Most people rely on their attachments to people as their constant,rather than the places themselves.
Some are pushed to branch out and form new attachments to places associated with positive memories while
others have a hard time forming new attachments at all. This highlights the significant importance of place
attachments in the formation of the self.
In addition to everything mentioned above, I discovered a few more things to note. Many students
mentioned the different types of friendships that they had with others. Almost all of them expressed a deep
and lasting relationship with their families. At another level, they recognized that some close friendships
would last beyond college, while others probably wouldn’t. Violet highlights the nature of her friendships
during college:
I have a smaller group of really close friends. I don’t think they’ll ever not be important to
me, even if we haven’t talked in a while. I have a wider circle of friends/acquaintances
with whom I spend a lot less time and there will probably come a time in the future when
we’ve grown apart and are not all that significant in each other’s lives. But I’ll still consider
them friends and remember themfondly, even though I probably won’t communicate with
them for long after we graduate. Even if people are only in my life for a short time, they
still often impact me in small ways and God can definitely use people in my life even if I
don’t know them for very long.

29
Future research could look more closely at this aspect of attachments, and how place has an impact on the
formation of these attachments to people.
I found that place attachments, social relationships, behaviors, and attitudes changed over time as
students progressed from freshman year to senior year. Overall, attachments to the campus became stronger
over time, as did attachments to home. Personal growth was shown to be greatly accelerated during college.
Finally, as seniors approach graduation, they begin investing in deep friendships that would last beyond
college.
With all this in mind, further research is needed to address shortcomings of the sample in order to
be able to generalize these findings across college students orthe general population.A suggestion would be
to study colleges which are more representative of typical colleges by sampling from different colleges
varying in the type of institution, ideology and culture, and the size and setting of the campus. It would be
beneficial to use a probability sample to be sure and get a representative sample. To gain more depth and
insight into the research, it would be worthwhile to conduct interviews, as was my original intention for this
study.All of these suggestionswould help to support and advance my findings in a more decisive way. From
a theoretical standpoint, further research is needed to look at the connector or mediator between place and
attachment. Perhaps it is memories, people, time, or some combination of those things.I found evidence that
this is not a direct connection and it is complex. Finally, it would be fascinating to look more closely at the
specific role that memory and nostalgia play in place attachments.
This study supports Cross’ findings and advances the literature of place attachments by looking at
them from the viewpoint of college students who are in a transitionary time in life. These findings showthat
that old cliché rings true: there truly is no place like home.

30
REFERENCES
Auburn,Timothy and Rebecca Barnes. 2006. “Producing Place: A Neo-Schutzian Perspective
on the ‘Psychology of Place’.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 26(1):38–50.
Basso, Keith H. 1996. “Wisdom Sits in Places: Notes on a Western Apache Landscape.” Pp. 53–
90 in Senses of Place, edited by Steven Feld and Keith H. Basso. Sante Fe, NM: School of
American Research Press.
Brown, Barbara B. and Douglas D. Perkins. 1992. “Disruptions in Place Attachment.” Pp. 279–
304 in Place Attachment,edited by Irwin Altman and Setha Low. New York: Plenum.
Cresswell, Tim. 1996. In Place-out of Place: Geography, Ideology,and
Transgression. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Cross, Jennifer E. 2015. “Processes of Place Attachment: An Interactional Framework.”
Symbolic Interaction, 38: 493–520. doi: 10.1002/symb.198.
Devine-Wright, Patrick. 2011. “Place Attachment and Public Acceptance of Renewable Energy:
A Tidal Energy Case Study.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 31(4):336–43.
Di Masso,Andres,John Dixon, and Kevin Durrheim. 2014. “Place Attachment as Discursive
Practice.” Pp. 75–86 in Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Applications,edited
by L.C. Manzo and Patrick Devine-Wright. New York: Routledge.
Dixon, John and Kevin Durrheim. 2000. “Displacing Place-Identity: A Discursive Approach to
Dominy, Michèle D. 2001. Calling the Station Home: Place and Identity in New Zealand's High
Country.Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Erikson, Kai. 1976. Everything in Its Path: Destruction of Community in the Buffalo Creek
Fried, Marc. 1963. “Grieving for a Lost Home.” Pp. 151–71 in The Urban Condition:People and
Policy in the Metropolis,edited by Leonard J. Huhn. New York: Basic Books.

31
Gustafson, Per. 2001a. “Meanings of Place: Everyday Experience and Theoretical
Conceptualizations.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 21(1):5–16.
Hay, Robert. 1998. “Sense of Place in Developmental Context.” Journal of Environmental
Psychology 18(1):5–29.
Hernández, Bernardo, Carmen M. Hidalgo, M. Esther Salazar-Laplace, and Stephany
Hess. 2007. “Place Attachment and Place Identity in Natives and Non-natives.” Journal of
Environmental Psychology 27(4):310–19.
Low, Setha M. 1992. “Symbolic Ties that Bind: Place Attachment in the Plaza.” Pp. 165–
86 in Place Attachment, edited by Irwin Altman andSetha Low. New York: Plenum Press.
Manzo, Lynne C., Rachel G. Kleit, and Dawn Couch. 2008. ““Moving Three Times Is Like
Having Your House on Fire Once”: The Experience of Place and Impending Displacement Among
Public Housing Residents.” Urban Studies 45(9):1855–78.
Manzo, Lynne C. 2003. “Beyond House and Haven: Toward a Revisioning of Emotional
Relationships with Places.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 23(1):47–61.
Milligan, Melinda J. 1998. “Interactional Past and Potential: The Social Construction of Place
Attachment.” Symbolic Interaction 21(1):1–33.
Rubinstein, Robert I. and Patricia A. Parmelee. 1992. “Attachment to Place and the
Representation of the Life Course by the Elderly.” Pp.139–63 in Place Attachment, edited by I.
Altman and S. Low. New York: Plenum.
Sampson, Kaylene A. and Colin G. Goodrich. 2009. “Making Place: Identity Construction and
Community Formation through “Sense of Place” in Westland,New Zealand.” Society & Natural
Resources 22(10):901–15.
Seamon, David. 1979. A Geography of the Life World: Movement, Rest, and Encounter.New

32
York: St. Martin's.
Seamon, David. 2014. “Place Attachment in Phenomenology: The Synergistic Dynamism of
Place.” Pp. 11–22 in Place Attachment: Advances in Theory, Methods and Application,edited
by L.C. Manzo and Patrick Devine-Wright. New York: Routledge.

33
P.S. for the enjoyment of the professorI thought I would add this excerpt after the paper because it’s a bit
long to use in the actual paper itself, but I still found it remarkable.
As a follow up question to “What place do you callhome,” I asked “what are your favorite memories
or places at home?” and some of my most favorite responses came from one focus group in particular who
had really interesting things to say.Jen displays attachment to her home through sensory descriptions ofher
favorite place and through a humorous narrative about herand herbest friend.It’s a long read but a fascinating
example of the sensory, narrative, and biographical processes of place attachment:
I have a memory and a place. So we live in this subdivision that’s surrounded by a golf course. So where we
are, we’re right off of the 14th hole and there’s the golf cart paths and there’s also just kind of walk around
the golf course paths. So there’s this when you go up to the golf course you pass there’s this little tree bush
thing that’s dead but it’s still there and it’s still sturdy and you can sit in it. So you have to walk over this
little bridge because there’s like a river that runs underneath it. And then there’s this rock wall kind of thing
of just a bunch of rocks stacked up on top of each other and this dead tree is just coming out of the rock wall
and just sits there right next to the pedestrian path. So whenever I take my dog on a walk we have to like
walk around the circle and then up to the golf course and I always bring my journal or my book or my
headphones and I’m just listening to my music or whatever. And I always go and I sit down inside of the
tree. Cause it doesn’t require climbing cause I don’t climb. But you can kind of sit there and my dog will lay
on the rocks and especially if it’s sunny he’ll like fall asleep while I’m journaling or reading or just listening
to music. And that has always been a place wherever I’m overwhelmed at home at my house with my family
or with friends I’ll just go and there’s like a little pond thing near it and it’s a golf course so it’s all quiet
which is really nice.
This description of her favorite place is so cool because it exemplifies a restorative place
like Cross mentions in her description of the sensory process. This is a perfect example of the
strength ofattachment to this restorative place due to the positive emotions associated with it. Jen
goes on to narrate one of her favorite memories that she has with her best friend from home.
And then my favorite memory is about five minutes away from my house there’s this Big lake that’s kind
of like the center of the town and my best friend and I freshman year of high school were walking around
and you can go kind of down right to the shore of the lake but you have to climb over all of these trees and
there’s this Big one that’s completely fallen down and so we’d go and sit on the end of the tree and dip our
feet in the water. Well one day we were walking through this foresty bushy area and I tripped over a stump
and my prosthetic leg snapped in half! It didn’t hurt! But *laughter* cause like the top of it was still

34
connected to my leg but the metal part that’s the food just came off! And I’m sitting there laughing and my
friend is looking at me and she was like it is a TWO Mile Walk back home and neither of us have our cell
phones.And we didn’t have any way to get in contact with our friends or family or anything.So she picks
up the bottompart of my leg and I like hop and crawl down the path and there’s a ton of people in this park
cause it’s a very open area and very public place and NO BODY stopped to ask if we were okay!! And we
were just like hoppin’ down the bunny trail and trying to get there. and finally we reach her neighborhood
and this old man he’s like 75 years old he comes wobbling overand he goes “are you ladies all right??” and
we were like “yeah just struggling a little bit!” and he was like “well I’ll give you a piggy back ride back to
yourhouse!” And Ilook at Emily and I look at this old man and I was like this is NOT a good idea *laughter*
so Emily’s like okay well maybe you could just like carry the leg back and I can give her a piggy back ride.
Cause like we had tried to have her give me a piggy back ride but while carrying this prosthetic leg it doesn’t
really work. So this old man just wobbles behind us carrying this part of my leg and Emily’s giving me a
piggy back ride back to her house.And we get to her front door. Her mom is so angry at us.She’s like “she’s
bleeding!!” cause I had to like crawl through the grass because my leg gave out like a mile in because
hopping…not worth it… anyway…so I call my mom and I’m like “heyyyy mom I broke my leg” and she
was like “which oneeee….” *laughter* and I was like “the one that’s expensive….” And she just goes that’s
okay we can fix it. And you could just hear her shaking her head like what did you do?!? But that’s my
favorite story cause that’s just like the relationship between my best friend and I like we’re never prepared
and then we do stupid things and we never get in trouble but we just have funny stories.
Like I said, this story is hilarious and one of my favorite responses from any of the
questions. It’s really cool because it exemplifies the importance of social relationships in the
formation of attachments to place, particularly in the narrative process of place attachment.
Another really amazing response to this same question was from Raul who describes a sensory
attachment to a place through a memory he has in that place.
Back in Erie there’s that giant lake that’s also there in Erie… yeah *laughter* and we had this place in our
house that you could walk along this trail and in three minutes you’ll be at the lake. And one winter I went
down by myself. And I‘m just walking. It’s snowing and there’s like a foot of snow down already. And I
can’t really hear any waves cause the lake is supposed to be frozen over. So I walk out and I see the lake and
it’s all frozen and all you could see like dirt and stuff chunked out and wood out on the lake and it’s so
beautiful. I’m just admiring it for like five minutes. I’m just looking and it’s just I really love that place.

35
I love how Raul’s memory is so vivid and so closely tied to sensory experience that he
speaks of it in present tense, as if he is there in the moment.
I really enjoyed this project. It’s fascinating to listen to people talking about their
attachments to places that they love and see howcollege impacts them. I hope you enjoyed reading
it, even though it is 44 pages long…

Sociology Colloquium Research Paper: The Place Attachments of College Students

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

En vedette

En vedette (12)

Similaire à Sociology Colloquium Research Paper: The Place Attachments of College Students

Similaire à Sociology Colloquium Research Paper: The Place Attachments of College Students (20)

Sociology Colloquium Research Paper: The Place Attachments of College Students