October 2 Essay

Historians explain that America's obsession with mass media, the Internet, and corporations as part of why Americans have little connection to community and their history. Also, historians believe that the nature of our global economy and the general commercialization of life prevent connections to small towns or their own significant histories. Also, Americans cannot define a true "sense of place" because our culture is one of constant movement and urban development. International visitors to the United States also noticed these trends -- a Chinese sociologist noted that America is a "world without ghosts," which meant that the United States has little appreciation for its past because it is constantly trying to embrace the newest technologies and trends. 

Glassberg does not necessarily agree with all of the perspectives of historians. He explains that there are limitations to these perspectives -- for example, the old and the young are relatively immobile, thus typically unaware of the constant motion in American life, and thus able to make connections to places with more ease. Also, economic status determines Americans' sense of appreciation for community and history. Glassberg uses the example of a white suburban couple looking forward to new opportunities in a new neighborhood, while a black couple feels constrained by racism in the same neighborhood. Finally, Glassberg makes the argument that places, in reality, are always changing; they only remain the same within a person's memory.

Glassberg defines a "sense of place" as a "language through which we recall our past social networks and emotions," and as the "organization of environmental stimuli into meaningful cognitive structures." He also defines "sense of place" within six different axioms. He asserts that a sense of place does not "spring naturally from the environment." Also, places are not interchangeable with other places, and their values are rooted with material things. Places overlap, and we usually distinguish them in a dialogue with others. Also, our important places are linked to history. Sense of place is formed at a young age, usually between ages six and twelve,

A "sense of place" was the main reason why Disney's America failed. Historians, local residents, Civil War reenactors, and other preservation groups defended the location of the Manassas National Battlefield Park as an important American location. Its importance was linked to the history that happened there, and people connected with that history. They felt that Disney's efforts would interfere with the real sense of history that surrounded the battlefield; one can argue that Manassas represented "real history" for the protesters of Disney's history park.