The Genealogy of Place part 2

The second part of The Genealogy of Place goes over many points about meanings of place. First insight he covered was the idea of human mobilities and human acttivites defining a place. As he book reads “The mobilities of bodies combine in space and time to produce an existential insideness-a felling of belonging within the rhythm of life in place” the way people engage in everyday life and reutilized activities, the form of place changes. He also talked about how place provides a geographically specific set of structures. There are sets of rules and policies set by other previous agent that we most conform to in respect to different places. Other point he made was how place is evolving and they are always in progress. “Place is made and remade everyday” that they serve as platform for creativities and holding events. However, as an effect of rapid advancement in communication, increased mobility and a consumer society, places are loosing their uniqueness and their distinctive regional characteristics. This erosion of place is making it difficult for people to connect with world thorough space.

The genelogy of place

Continuing with the first part of the reading, Tim Cresswell talks about the genealogy of place as he look more deeply into its meanings and relationship with human. According to one of his example, the basic meaning of place lies within the human existence and experience. Beside carrying contextual meanings and relationships with human, place is what defines s human existence. “The only way humans can be humans is to be in place”. After encountering this idea of place being the element of forming humans existence, my perspective about the place has be changed. Suddenly, place seem to be a grandeur and a ultimate being which controls out experiences and define our existences.

Cresswell's place

Before reading the first chapter of the book by Cresswell, I never thought about place and its deeper meanings. I learned that place is more than what it stands for, but it serves as representation of the people and way of identifying and understanding others. One of his example about giving meaning to a place, decorating a new room, was something I could related to that when I move into new apartments, I decorate my room and it reflects my preference and sense of style.
Place contains meaning as well as special memories. I f I go back to place where I used to live when I was young, it will bring back my memories and feelings from that time. Place I live is part of my identity, part of the culture I belong to, affect my interaction with others, and build relationship. Reading the first chapter of this book, I had a chance to rethink about place as a meaningful and a symbolic entity.