Nature of place attachment: A study among recreation homeowners in Southern Norway

Abstract

Place attachment is frequently referred to as a complex and integrative phenomenon encompassing a wide range of concepts. Place attachment is linked to the meanings created around recreation settings, yet knowledge is limited about the nature of place attachment and to what people are attached. This study examines the nature of place attachment among a sample of recreation homeowners in Southern Norway and to which attributes of the places they are attached. The results show that place attachment can be conceptualized on a general level while still containing subdimensions related to the place, the recreational home, and long‐term connections to the area. A range of attributes including the natural and cultural environment, family and social activities, history, and traditions are all important in the development of affective bonds with the places in the study area. Identifying the subdimensions of place attachment enables a better prediction of the importance of different place attributes than the more holistic concept of place attachment.

Keywords:

• affective bonding
• leisure settings
• outdoor recreation
• place attributes
• place meanings