Place Attachment and Memory: Landscapes of Belonging as Experienced Post-migration

Abstract

This paper examines the role of public spaces in developing emotions of place attachment by first generation migrants. We look at the role of memory, of both continuity and dislocation prompted by everyday experiences of local places among residents who had moved to the UK from a range of non-European countries. The research was focused on a neighbourhood in Sheffield, with participants producing on-site independently recorded audio to communicate their responses to being outdoors. Our findings indicate the scope of outdoor places to prompt memories and highlight connections between different periods of the participants' lives. Performance of familiar activities and reflections of values in public spaces were important in developing a sense of belonging at the local scale. A sense of ‘personal fit’ to places of residence can reflect transnational identities and sense of continuity over different life stages.

Key Words:

• migrants
• ethnicity
• landscape perception
• public realm
• walking methods

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Economic and Social Research Council UK, for funding this research (RES-000-22-1797). We wish to thank the anonymous referees for their thoughtful guidance on earlier drafts.

Notes

1. We chose to use the term ‘migrant’ over ‘immigrant’ to avoid a perspective defined by positioning within the country of settlement. The term is used to define a person who has moved in the past, and is not intended to imply that they are temporary residents or in ongoing migration.

2. In this paper, we use the term ‘country of origin’ to refer to the place of primary residence during childhood.

3. Quotes which were recorded when a researcher was present are noted within the text.

4. Implications for practice has not been a focus of this paper, but for those interested, a briefing paper can be downloaded from the project website (http://www.walkingvoices.group.shef.ac.uk).