Egoz, Shelly

From CollabLandWiki

Making a mess in the countryside: Organic farming and the threat to sense of place

Egoz, S. & Bowring, J. & Perkins, H. Making a mess in the countryside: Organic farming and the threat to sense of place Landscape Journal Vol. 25, No. 1 2006 pg 54

The article discusses how social beliefs and practices find symbolic expression in the landscape. Most of the article focuses on organic farming in southern Canterbury, however, it branches out to discuss ‘sense of place’ midway through the essay.

The writers define ‘sense of place’ as representing a ‘field of enquiry’ which develops new directions while still having a ‘recursive aspect to it’ (pg 59) Close relationships are formed with the place people live. There is a build up of memories, a bestowal of meanings, and individual & community identity, security and concern. Sense of place is only realised when loss occurs, for example if the landscape is changed in any way or if an integral person leaves.

These definitions are sort of what is occurring in Wairoa. The Ngati Kahu Iwi are being displaced due to the pressure of residential development and population increase.

Throughout the article, it mentions ways that a sense of place is gained, and that it means many things. It also addresses the misconception that places only have one past. As the article states, this is not true. Places have many histories, depending on culture, and therefore have many meanings. These pasts and meanings are vast, depending on the individual and the culture. Places are dynamic and their landscape will arouse a different sense of place in different people or cultures. This, therefore, can pose the questions “Whose sense of place?” and “ What sort of sense of place?”

Places have multiple identities, and we could investigate this in terms of introducing a new scheme to the river etc.

“ Where these two sets of land management practices and associated senses of place intersect, the potential for misrepresentation, ill feeling and conflict is never far away” pg 64

This article increases awareness that there is more than one meaning for each landscape. What one person thinks or values may be completely different another’s perspective, and this will have to be considered when designing, especially with two different cultures involved.