The Sensual Geographies
of
Difference
Some perspectives on a
sense of place
Steve Rawlinson
Principal Lecturer
Northumbria University
GA Primary Geography Champion
Steve.rawlinson@northumbria.ac.uk
Aims of this session
• Different people hold different
senses of place
• How can we engage the senses to
explore an individual’s sense of
place?
• The role of perception in
developing a sense of place
Aims…
• Fresh perspective on the value of using
the senses when exploring place with
children
• Senses are an input – my response,
your response, to that input leads to
difference...
• Emotional senses and place
Engaging the senses
• Louv – nature deficit disorder
• Tuan – nature averse
• Need to offer children opportunities to
engage with their senses more
• KS2/KS3 curriculum demands
development of ‘enquiry, graphicacy,
visual literacy and geographical
communication’ – sensory activities.
Stimuli
Different Stimuli bring out the differences
that people have about a place
• Maps/photographs - sight
• Music - hearing
• Food – taste
• Artefacts – touch/smell
Lets explore some of these…
Island map
• Open up your map
• Discuss what you have put and where
and why?
• How will your senses be engaged on
this island?
• You have now developed some
empathy with this island and how
different people view it differently
Island Map
• Provides a stimulus to get children
talking
• Enables them to develop geographical
language so
• Their sense of place can be shared
See Witt & Rawlinson (2012), Primary
Geography 78
Developing the activity – with
acknowledgement to Rex Walford...
• Shipwrecked – where would you locate
your settlement? Differences would
emerge...values/attitudes
• Build island with Lego – enables
experimentation with locations
• Sense of touch engaged – kinaesthetic
learners/visual literacy
• Map from the model
Interrogate the map/
model
Q you might ask:
• What would you see/taste/smell/touch/
hear at different places?
• Which sounds/tastes/smells etc are
natural and which are man made?
• Makes the children look at the place
through different senses...
Further development Desert Island discs
The sense of hearing...
• Think of the sound track you would take to a
desert island – tracks that remind you of
particular places
• Can you identify one for each sense?
• Again by sharing these you begin to see how
children have developed their sense of place
– good way of getting to know your
children...transition phase
Further Developments…
What would they pack to their new
home...?
Make this specific by specifying the
weather/climate they will encounter...
Is the Island volcanic...? Will this change
what they take?
Again their senses will bring them images
etc...
And another
development…it’s a Mystery
Children love mysteries
• Whose choice of soundtrack/suitcase is this?
• Could have a 20 questions type of approach
to see if they can discover who chose what
• This technique can be further developed
using the ‘what's in the box?’ approach
discussed later
Personal Geographies and a
Sense of Place
‘A sense of place describes a particular
kind of relationship between individuals
and localities. For individuals different
places are imbued with different
meanings’ (Matthews, 1992)
Massey (1991) also suggests that places
have multiple identities...
Developing a Sense of
Place
Relationship between individuals and a place –
attachments
• Your Special Place?
• What makes it special?
• Can you relate it to any of your senses – a
special sight/taste/sound etc...
• What would you change? Why?
• Different values/attitudes colour personal
geographies
Activity – changing
perceptions of place using
the senses…
Discuss with your partner your perception of Madison
(New York)
• What has influenced your view? Have you ever been
there for example?
• How will your senses be assailed if you go there?
What will you see, hear, smell etc...?
Activity cont...
• View the pictures?
• Do these change your sense of place?
• Do they confirm your sense
engagement?
Interrogating photographs
• How do the photographs make you feel – use a word
list for prompt
• Provide stickers to represent emotions – red for
angry, blue for sad etc
• Put yourself in the picture – ask them to use their
senses to say how they feel
• Interview someone in the photograph
• Act out what happened in the moment after the
photo taken
These Q encourage diversity of answers – different
people have different views about same place
Activity…
• Listen to the music
• Does this change your perception?
How? In particular consider how your
senses may now have different images
Walking down Madison
Senses engagement from the song...
• Touch – ‘held out hand you pay no attention
to’ – ‘bag lady frozen asleep in the park’
• Taste – ‘sandwich you had’
• Smell – squalid areas – ‘rats in the basement’
- ‘cardboard city’
• Sight – ’beaming boy from Harlem with the
air force coat’
• Hearing – ‘never shot no one’
Review…
• Music brings a different dimension
• Emotional senses e.g. Sense of guilt…
the differences between the haves and
the have not's...’feel guilty about the
coat on your back’
• The sensual geography of difference...
Perceptions of places can
change...
• From experience – direct and indirect
• From images
• From music
The role of the media/technology is
crucial in changing our perceptions of
the world today
Review
• Different senses bring out different
perceptions from different people –
Tanner (2012) – different inputs
• Guide books give us previsit
perception/memories and leads to
personal post visit perceptions
• Memories are powerful evocations of a
place and time – enable differences to
be highlighted...
Developing a sense of
place with children
• Opportunities to get outside the classroom
to develop this
• Start local – from where the children know
• Structure their curiosity – asking the right
questions
• Learning framework – 8 Way Thinking
• Likes and dislikes – emotional geography
Emotional Geography
Tanner (2010) in Primary Geography
Handbook by S Scoffham (ed)
Catling (2003) - children’s experience of
places is a vital part of their lives,
contributing to their sense of self,
identity and self esteem
Scoffham (1998) young children are
natural geographers
Emotionally literate geography education
enables children to
• Recognise personal attachment to a place
• Acknowledge power of place to provoke affective
responses – see Tanner (2009)
• Express emotions about places
• Understand the feelings of others about places
• Express/communicate responses in different
ways
• Understand environmental issues may arouse
strong feelings
• Express their own feelings appropriately
Using fieldwork to develop a
personal sense of place
Martin (2006) suggests such an approach
• Values diversity rather than perceiving
differences negatively
• Leads to a rich ‘sense of our place’
• Gives a positive foundation for distant
locality studies which views difference
as a positive not a negative
The fieldwork approach
• Provides a multi-sensory approach reflecting
research on learning styles and multiple
intelligences
• Acknowledges ‘place attachment’ – children’s
sense of identity is closely tied to their local
area. Tanner (2009) offers activities to
explore this.
• Also gives opportunities to identify the
multiple identities that places exhibit –
Massey (1991)
Some activities...
• Photographs taken by the children for a
purpose
• Journey sticks
• Make a feelings map
• Each child makes a My Place book –
scrapbooking – see Witt (2010)
Linking discovering
Need to enable children to use their
senses to discover the world about
them
8 Way Thinking provides a framework for
looking at the world
Either
• the real world via fieldwork
or
• the virtual world via media
8 Way Thinking
• Devised by Ian Gilbert
• Derived from Around Deeply Project
• Multi-dimensional snapshot of the people,
places, history, sights, sounds and nature of
locations on a voyage round Britain.
• Thinking skills project encouraging participant
to:
• Think
• Reflect
• Look more closely
Links with:
• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
(MI)
• Philosophy for Children (P4C)
• De Bono’s six ‘Thinking Hats’
• Thinking Skills
8 Way thinking
Combining thinking skills scaffolding, P4C practices and
MI theory to produce headings/focus for investigation
• Logical/Mathematical
• Verbal/Linguistic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalistic
• Body/Physical
• Musical
• Visual/Spatial
Terminology simplified
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
People
Numbers
Words
Nature
Sounds
Feelings
Sights
Actions
8 way.jpg
It is a model for
• Asking questions across subjects
• Arousing and harnessing curiosity
• Seeing with new eyes
For geography
• It offers a new integrated approach for
thematic planning
• A different means of developing a sense
of place – engages the senses
The technique has been
used with
•
•
•
•
Secondary PGCE students
Primary Undergraduate and PG students
Y1 Geography undergraduates
Children of various ages/key stages
Geography
People: Children’s
life, jobs people
did and housing.
Numbers: How
many bridges,
arches and compare
value of money.
Words: Geordie
words, Accents in
area and songs.
Art & Design
History
Actions: Tourism, air
raid and recycling.
Past
Ouseburn
ast
Present
Nature: Wild life,
pollution and food.
Sights: Types of
boats, bridges and
wildlife.
Feelings: Pictures,
Victoria Tunnel and
childhood.
Sounds: Industrial,
transport and
wildlife.
P.E.
Jane’s plan
8. ACTIONS
1. From a tourism aspect draw
7. SIGHTS
1. How did the boats differ then
compared to now?
2. Do we still use boats for the
same purpose now as we did in
the past?
3. How do the bridges differ?
ART AND DT
how the uses have changed?
2. Can you act out a scene from
the tunnel during an air raid?
3. Can you think why it might be
a good idea to recycle, what is
recycling?
ART, DRAMA AND SCIENCE
6. FEELINGS
1. How would you feel if you had to
work everyday instead of going to
school?
2. How do you think you would have
felt standing here during the war
compared to now?
3. How would you feel if you were a
worker making ships in the past
compared to working here now?
ICT, ART AND GEOGRAPHY
Ouseburn Field Visit
8 Way Thinking
NOW AND THEN
sounds between now and then?
2. Are there any differences in
transport sounds? Then - horse and
cart, now - cars.
3. Do you think there might have been
differences in the sounds from work?
Then- shipbuilding/ mining, now –
bars/hotels.
GEOGRAPHY
then and what kind of jobs do
people have now?
2. What was life like for the
children then (particulary during
World War II) compared to now?
3. What were the houses like
then, how do they differ to now?
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
2. NUMBERS
1. How long was the tunnel then
and, after construction work how
long is it now?
2. How has the value of money
changed?
3. Compare an old bridge
(arches, building work etc) to a
newer bridge?
MATHS, DT AND ART
3. WORDS
5. SOUNDS
1. Have there been any changes in
1. PEOPLE
1. What jobs did people have
4. NATURE
1. Wildlife how has it changed,
brings in extinction issues?
2. Are there any different trees now
that they didn’t have in the past?
3. How did they use the land and
near by resources compared to now?
SCIENCE AND DT
1. Geordie words they used while
working in ship yards and how
have they changed?
2. Dialect then and now?
3. Songs they sang then compared
to now e.g. “…I shall have a fishy
on the dishy I shall have a fishy
when the boat comes in…”
ENGLISH
Looking and experiencing
• We can look at a place in a photo but
we need to go there to experience it.
• Awe and wonder
• A picture of Cadair Idris has an impact
– engages visual senses
• Taking you to Cadair engages all the
senses and so you experience the
place...the true sensual geography of
difference?
Place in a box – with due
respect to Howard Lisle
Summary activity
Can you put your sense of place in a
box...and will what is in your box differ
from someone else’s?
Place in a box...
• Sensory geography can be
overwhelming
• Useful to summarise sense of place –
put it in a box
• Ideally have a box of sensory materials
to engage all the senses e.g.
Photos/maps/food/artefacts etc
• Enables sensory exploration...Catling
(2012)
Activity – Morpeth in a box
• Look at the box on your table
• Can you identify the senses I engaged
with to build up this picture of Morpeth
– which picture represents which
sense?
• There may be differences of opinion
again!
Review…
• Each item chosen for specific personal
reason – Tanner (2012)
• Explaining why item chosen is as
important as the actual item – very
personal
• Reveals the sensual geography of
difference...
Activity
• What images would you put in your box
of your home area? Why those things?
• What artefacts could you bring to add
to the box?
• Try and involve all the senses – what is
the smell of your place, what is the
taste etc?
• What questions would you ask about
each item?
Applying 8 Way Thinking
to What’s in the Box?
If we take an artefact out of box we could
ask…
• People – who made this, how did they
make it, can we make it?
• Numbers – is this common/rare. Why is
it rare?
• Sights and Words – describe this – one
draws/one describes
• Nature – what is it made of?
8 Way Thinking artefact…
• Sounds – what sound does it make?
What sounds were made when it was
made? Songs of workers?
• Feelings – feelings it gives you? how did
people feel when they made it? Imagine
they lost it – story opportunity
• Actions – what else could this be used
for?
Review - 8 way artefact
• The different ways in which children react to
the objects are the key
• Again we are into the geographies of
difference
By engaging the senses we can make these all
the more meaningful and…
• Explore children’s perceptions, values,
emotions etc
• You get to know your children very quickly
this way.
Conclusions
• Interaction enables differences to be
explored
• The senses provide a mechanism for
this
• Difference should be seen as a strength
not something to be feared
Conclusions
• Engaging the senses enables children’s
personal geographies to be explored
• Makes the geography real
• Gives you an insight into their values
and attitudes.
Future differences
• Need to look to the future
• Children will see this differently – see
Dolan (2012)
• Rich source of engagement with the
sensual geographies of difference
• See Primary Geography Spring 2011
which has a focus on Futures
A final Practical
application - Transition
• Overcoming the fear of difference as
children move up through schools
• Year 6 devise a sensual trail for year 5
to explore their new environment
• Year 5 explore each others schools
before move up – avoids parochialism –
they see where their new class mates
come from
Transition
• Tanner (2009) – geography of favourite
places – get children to share...
• Engages the emotions – Tanner (2010)
suggests this enables children to:
– Develop empathy for others feelings about
places
– Understand the representation of different
places via different media
So please...
Use the geography of difference and
sensual geographies to help children
understand that difference is positive!
Questions/discussion
points?
Will you incorporate any of these
ideas in your future teaching?
References
8 Way thinking
Gilbert, Ian 2006 www.teachingexpertise.com
issue 12 summer 2006
www.independentthinking.co.uk
PowerPoints
Living geography: 8 Ways Fieldwork
http://www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/annualconference/guildfo
rd2008/
8 Way Thinking: Evolution & Evaluation
http://www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/annualconference/manch
ester2009/
Ken’s war story http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/user/38/u271153
8.shtml
Refs
Balderstone, D (2006) Secondary Geography Handbook GA
Barlow, A & Brook, A (2010) Geography and Art: Local area work Primary
Geographer, 72 pp 14-15
Catling, S. (2003) Geography Contested: primary geography and social
justice Geography, 88, 3, pp164-210
Catling, S (2012) The place of artefacts in Geography Primary Geography,
78, p30
Dolan, A (2012) Future talk over story time Primary Geography 78, pp 2627
Firth, R. & Biddulph,M (2009) Whose life is it anyway? in Mitchell, D (ed)
(2009) Living Geography Chris Kington publishing
Haynes, S (2010) Challenging perceptions of place Primary Geographer, 72
pp 16-17
Louv, R (2005) Last Child in the Woods Algonquin
Martin, F (2006) Teaching Geography in Primary Schools Chris Kington
Massey, D (1991) A global sense of place in Barnes, T & Gregory, D
(1997) Reading Human Geography: the poetics and politics of inquiry,
Arnold
Refs...
Owens, P (2008) MyWalks; Walk on the Child Side Primary Geographer 67,
pp 25-8
Scoffham, S (1998) Places, attachment & identity in Scoffham, S (ed)
Primary Sources: Research findings in Primary Geography GA pp.26-7
Tanner, J (2009) Special Places: Place attachment and children’s
happiness Primary Geographer, 68 pp 5-8
Tanner, J (2010) Geography and the emotions in Primary Geography
Handbook, ed S Scoffham, GA
Tanner, J (2012) How do you see it? Primary Geography, 78, pp 22-23
Taylor, L (2005) Re-presenting Geography Chris Kington publishing
(Chapt 6)
Tuan, Y (2001) Space and Place Univ of Minnesota
Walford, R (2007) Using Games in School Geography Chris Kington
publishing – chapter 11, First Landfall
Witt, S (2010) Geography and Art; Happy spaces, happy places Primary
Geographer, 72 pp 18-19
Witt, S & Sudbury, J (2010) Geography and Art: A sense of place at
Bishop's Waltham Junior School Primary Geographer, 72 pp 18-19