The dynamic relationship between sense of place and risk perception in landscapes of mobility

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Coastal areas are exposed to changing patterns of mobility and increasingly extreme weather events, offering unique opportunities to study the complexity of adaptation to global changes and the diversity of responses to risk. How individuals and communities respond to risk varies widely, however traditional rationalist and economic based understandings have proved limited in explaining responses to risk. Increasingly social science, and specifically, a focus on peoples' relationships with their local places is providing a useful approach to understanding human responses to place based change. We bring together literature on sense of place, mobility, risk perception, and adaptation and develop a conceptual model to highlight the dynamic links between these processes. In particular we concentrate on a way of understanding risk that focuses on the role of different types of attachments to place. We explore this model using a pilot study (n = 70) and present data that indicates how different types of place attachments are significant in whether people perceive themselves to be at risk of flooding. Our review and results emphasize the interconnectivity of social and environmental change, and suggests that by identifying particular place attachments, as shaped by mobility, we can deepen our understanding of how communities choose to respond to risk.

Empathy, place and identity interactions for sustainability

“…To host migrants from North Africa and later to attract new populations (retirees, tourists, entrepreneurs), wetlands were drained, mosquito populations eradicated, rivers controlled with dams and dykes, transport infrastructures constructed and new urban settlements continually in development. Here, place, identity and relationships with nature have been mobilized into political struggles and narratives around nature, infrastructure and place have developed (Quinn et al, 2018). Empathy is evoked through these narratives, giving agency to and emotion -for example, flood or mosquito blooms expressed as anger.…”

Key factors on migration assuming disaster risk of a megathrust earthquake:

“…Most of the existing literature on migrations related to earthquake risk or damage has tended to account for evidence of population movements by focusing on individual socioeconomic contexts and disparities in regional development; however, the diversity of regional characteristics and the complexity of the factors at play make a single overarching explanation difficult to achieve (M. Hori, Schafer, & Bowman, 2009). In France, researchers have attempted to construct a conceptual model to predict how population movements might be impacted by coastal residents' cognitive awareness of increased disaster risk related to climate change (Quinn et al, 2018). Studies have demonstrated how regional attachment has both positive and negative influences on risk perception (Ruiz & Hernandez, 2014), such that those who have a strong attachment to an area are particularly reluctant to leave even in a case of disaster (Bonaiuto et al, 2016).…”

Farmers’ landslide risk perceptions and willingness for restoration and conservation of world heritage site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China

“…In addition to these factors, sense of place and individual socio-economic characteristics are also crucial elements able to influence pre-emptive disaster actions. Sense of place reflects attitudes and behaviour in epistemological understandings of social and ecological change and humanenvironment relationships (Quinn et al 2018). Sociocultural factors, like religious belief (Sun et al 2018), marital status (Agho et al 2010), ethnicity and physical conditions (Werg et al 2013), have been seen significant in analysing landslide risk attitudes.…”