WELCOME TO OCR Geography a-level

A-Level course Overview (2 Year Full Course) Content Overview Assessment Overview Landscape Systems – Coasts Earth’s Life Support Systems Geographical Skills Physical Systems (01) 66 marks 1hr 30mins 22% of A level Changing Spaces; Making Places Global Connections – Global Migration and Power and Borders Human Interactions (02) Disease Dilemmas Hazardous Earth Geographical Debates (03) 108 marks 2hrs 30mins 36% of A level Independent Investigation Investigative Geography (04/05) 60 marks Non Examined Assessment 20% of A level

Question style…

Changing Spaces; making places module overview Core Module in the Human Interactions (02) Paper What’s in a place? How do we understand place? How does economic change influence patterns of social inequality in places? Who are the players that influence economic change in places? How are places created through placemaking processes?

Changing spaceS; MAKING PLACES KEY QUESTION What is a place and how do we understand it?

PLAce = location meaning + Co-ordinates Grid References Location: A position in abstract space Meaning: At an individual level – personal and subjective At a social or cultural level – shared/ common meanings Co-ordinates Grid References

PLAce = location meaning + ‘A place comes into existence when humans give meaning to a part of the larger, undifferentiated space.’ Yi-Fu Tuan, 1977 At the heart of places are people – as they live, work and play, space is changed into a place that conveys meaning and identity. All of us are involved in changing spaces and making places.

Do these spaces have any meaning to you? Are they places? I spent many times here with my friends when I was young. It is a place to me because it immediately has meaning. Location: 51.47° N, -3.32° E National Grid Ref: SP083,759

This is part of the grounds of Cardiff University. It has the personal meaning of being in my hometown. 16/04/2019

What is the place called? Where is the place located? What individual memories do you have of this place? (Either through media/ first hand experience) How does society view this place? What does society see this place’s function as?

place Creswell (2008) explains place as ‘a meaningful segment of geographical space.’ Place is understood as a geographical nexus of connections and linkages including flows of people, ideas, information and wealth that define a geographical location. Places are dynamic, changing both in terms of their material human and physical geographies but also the meanings associated with them. Therefore, all places are changing places. If this is, ‘place,’ what is, ‘space?'

Is there a difference between a parking space and a parking place? A parking space is a defined area where you can park your car. A parking place is an area where the act of parking takes place.

I’m caught between a rock and a hard place!!! Shall we meet at my place or yours? I feel so out of place at this party

What is the difference between place and space? Places can have an objective meaning e.g. an address or grid reference. But they can also have a subjective meaning where emotion or meaning has been attached. E.g. My place (my home) has a post code and an address … but it also has meaning and emotion attached. Space exists between places. Spaces don’t have the meaning that places do. They tend to be objective and lack meaning/emotion.

Look at the photos below of 2 very different places. Why can both of these be defined as a ‘place’? The North Atlantic Ocean separates these 2 places – is this ocean a place or a space?

Here it is an enormous space separating New York and Heathfield. Here it a place of work for the North Atlantic Ocean fishermen

Here it is also a place for the crew of the cargo ships travelling across the Atlantic. They have emotion attached to it – they have an understanding of the ocean currents, wind and wave patterns.

SPace Tuan (1977) – explains, ‘space is given by the ability to move, space implies freedom.’ Space exists between places and does not have the meanings that places do. Tuan stated that, ‘spaces are more abstract than places.’ Tuan (1977) – ‘When space feels thoroughly familiar to us, it has become place. Place is a type of object. Places and objects define space.’

Read through p147 of the textbook ‘Defining what is meant by place.’ Review Read through p147 of the textbook ‘Defining what is meant by place.’ Make notes on the key points consolidating what you understand by the terms place and space. Can you answer the following question? Can one person’s ‘place,’ be another person’s ‘space?' 16/04/2019

Places hold a variety of different meanings for us all. Geography is the study of people and place, and as geographers we are interested in the similarities, differences and interconnections between places. At the heart of places are people. We play a key role in “making a place”. The differences or similarities between places is largely due to people and how they live, work and play. We are all involved in “changing spaces and making places”.