10/2 Essay in Placenessness

Critics claim that Americans cannot forma connection to a place because we are so immersed in the world of mass media, the Internet and our growing international world economy and culture.  Like having a "sense of place" that attaches us to a specific place, "sense of placenessness" acts as the opposite of people not attached to any particular place.  Our capitalistic and instant world also makes it difficult for Americans to attach to a place.  The architecture of this postmodern era, the cookie-cutter box buildings, limit the emotional and intellectual attachment that creates the distinctive sense of place.  Everything now must be standardized and commercialized in our consumer culture.  Americans seem to place no value on where they live.  Our unique history of mobility and historical consciousness help tell why we Americans have trouble finding a "sense of place."  We lack this sense because we lack a sense of history and commitment to our community.

Glassberg does not completely agree with the arguments made against Americans in their lack of a sense of place.  This placenessess shows that our world is very connected to the powerful economic and political worlds and it is not all subjective and communal.  There are limits to every approach to a problem.  We, as Americans, experience a loss of control over space, which helps us gain a "sense of place," when a new group comes into their neighborhood or an old building becomes something else. We have to acknowledge the differences in power that shape perspectives as well as our mobile history to possibly see why Americans have trouble finding a "sense of place."

Glassberg describes "sense of place," at least at the individual level, as the memories we have and recall from the environment.  "Sense of place" is also our emotional attachment to a particular place, like a childhood home.  Our environment shapes who we are and how we see the world, to a degree.  So, we attach our sense of self to a place.  As I said in class last week, my "sense of place" is in Italy since that is where I figured out my personal identity.

America’s lack of a “sense of place” definitely contributed to the failure of Disney’s America.  Since it was to be a theme park, things would have been done to attract larger audiences to make a profit.  Many also feared that the history presented would be made politically correct and distorted.  The parks planned placement by a Civil War battlefield with lots of room to expand and create another Disneyland, did not help its image.  The locals found their “sense of place” and defended the land with passion that forced Disney to cancel its plans.  You cannot force a "sense of place" onto people; it would be an artificial sense.