Sense of Place Among Hunter-Gatherers
Cross-Cultural Research: The Journal of Comparative Social Science
Published online on July 12, 2016
Abstract
This research examines sense of place among hunter-gatherers. More specifically, it assesses whether or not hunter-gatherers are focused on social parameters when they form their sense of place. Most previous research of sense of place has taken place in industrial society where humans have become disconnected from the surrounding lands and spaces. As hunter-gatherers are dependent on the surrounding lands and spaces, this research will add valuable insights about the phenomenon of sense of place. The findings indicate that sense of place among hunter-gatherers is closely associated with the social group that they identify with. The most significant social unit in terms of sense of place for hunter-gatherers is the conglomeration of multifamily units. Overall, this study implies that sense of place among hunter-gatherers adds a spatial component to an individual’s overall sense of social identification.