Attachment: A question of how and a question of why

Abstract

Attachment has not been a central concern for cultural geographers for some time – a consequence, I have argued, of process ontologies that emphasise becoming over being. Ben Anderson's article proves me wrong by providing a compelling framework for how we might approach attachment from within these ontological terms. While I point out some areas of overlap and agreement, I also argue that process ontologies are limited in their capacity to understand why attachment happens: from whence – in a world of perpetual and dynamic unfolding – does the desire for attachment come from?