Place, Space and Identity
Course code
HIA7237.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Koht, ruum ja identiteet
Course title in English
Place, Space and Identity
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
The aim of this course is to explore the interconnections of place, space, and identity within different social, cultural, and political contexts. It discusses how human experiences of place and space are shaped, contested, and reimagined through (im)mobilities, everyday life practices, regional dynamics and the relationship between place and identities. The course provides students with critical theoretical tools to analyse how both physical environments as well as imaginaries, perceptions and representations of place influence individual and collective identities, with an emphasis on regional variations and the socio-political implications of these dynamics.
Brief description of the course
This course focuses on the dynamic relationships between identities and places with a particular emphasis on how these connections manifest in different regional contexts. We will discuss the relationship between space, place, territory, region, landscape, area and scale and engage critically with the concepts of place attachment, sense of place, placemaking, and place identity.
Through readings, lectures and seminar discussions, we will explore how space and place act as both physical and imagined arenas where individual and group identities are constructed, sensed and negotiated. The course will integrate multidisciplinary perspectives to investigate how human relationship with place varies across geographic regions, cultures, and historical contexts, highlighting the role of regional and area-specific factors in shaping the interplay between place and identity.
Through readings, lectures and seminar discussions, we will explore how space and place act as both physical and imagined arenas where individual and group identities are constructed, sensed and negotiated. The course will integrate multidisciplinary perspectives to investigate how human relationship with place varies across geographic regions, cultures, and historical contexts, highlighting the role of regional and area-specific factors in shaping the interplay between place and identity.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- critically evaluates the relationship between key concepts related to place, space, and identity;
- applies theoretical frameworks to different cases to analyse how various agencies, power dynamics, ideas and historical contexts can influence the construction and perception of place and identity;
- develops ethnographic insights into the meanings and practices of place and space across different regions, communities, and urban and rural settings;
- demonstrates critical thinking and communicates complex ideas effectively through oral and written forms.
- critically evaluates the relationship between key concepts related to place, space, and identity;
- applies theoretical frameworks to different cases to analyse how various agencies, power dynamics, ideas and historical contexts can influence the construction and perception of place and identity;
- develops ethnographic insights into the meanings and practices of place and space across different regions, communities, and urban and rural settings;
- demonstrates critical thinking and communicates complex ideas effectively through oral and written forms.
Teacher
Maarja Kaaristo
Study programmes containing that course