What does the Follwing Article Tell us about the Relationship between Place and Identity - Essay Example

The social identity can be related to gender, race, occupation and culture. People have identities related to their everyday practice in life and their interactions in daily life talks a lot about them. The article here explains about the life and interests of an elderly person called Narendra Bajaria Bajaria is the first from his community to chair a national park and this shows his dedication and devotion in his social life. He wanted to engage in the social scenario of the district he is living in and perform activities for the betterment of his society.

This article show that he is very attached with the country side and the district he lives in and wants people all over the world to come and visit his place. Bajaria points out that the country side is apartheid and does not welcome many minorities to the region. But he wants to initiate and invite minorities like African and Asians to the country side and make the place more culturally active. As per Ward(2007)“One of his particular pleasures is to welcome friends from the mostly flat south, take them out into the park among its glorious peak views, and say: ‘Look at that.”.People with same age, occupation and ethnicity share an identity.

People also develop identity by having connection with place they live or interact. Urban areas, rural areas and natural environment impact the people in a deep way and in case of Bajaria country side has given shape to an identity in him. People and places have multiple identities like Bajaria and national park. The national park is a people’s park, and a place under the authority of people like Bajaria and a nation’s asset. Likewise, Bajaria also has multiple personal and social in identity as a friend, father, chairperson and citizen of a country.

In every society some people are considered as normal and others are treated as strangers. Here,Bajaria wants to connect with people from his community background and other ethnical communities to form more social identity with them. Shared identities connect people with other people and the society they live in. Their social activities can be studied by people like Bajaria and help in assessing who they are and what are their likes and dislikes. Social life is a process of interacting with different places and people throughout and Bajaria is a person who likes to be active in his social life.

In the article Taylor (2009,pg186)mentions that “The associations of a particular place can also become part of the way we talk and think about ourselves, and present ourselves to others”. The article has mostly discussed about identities of place and social identity. People are attached to place they belong and symbolize their identity to where they belong. Places people live and work create a sense of belonging as in case of Bajaria who is proud of being a first national park authority in Derbyshire.

National park is a place of natural bounty and evokes strong feelings in people which strengthen their personal experience with them. Attachment to places can develop self identity and images of places can integrally woven in to an individual’s identity of self. In case of Bajaria, his life in country side has given him a feeling of psychological well being and satisfaction. The article also refers to social identity as the national park is a place belonging to social group and provides a sense of group identity.

People socialize extensively in this area and stand as platform to foster common experience