GEOG Discussion
As discussed in lecture and in the textbook, the concept “territoriality” stems from the idea that social identity (e.g. sense of belonging to a group) is often directly linked to physical places or landscapes. The most obvious example of this is national identity, which links the identity of all Americans to the territory/space within the borders of the country. Importantly, territoriality serves three different purposes. It can:
1. Regulate social interaction
2. Regulate access (to people/places)
3. Serve as a symbol of individual or group identity
For this discussion, identify and describe an example of a specific place or landscape that illustrates each of the functions of territoriality (you can give a different example for each function, or you can use the same example to illustrate more than 1 of the functions). Be specific, identifying an actual place, explaining how it is defined, and how it works in serving that particular function.
HINT: It might be useful to think about how the places or landscapes you select are physically defined. What kinds of territorial markers exist in a place to define the extent of the territory and to communicate the kinds of social interaction that are acceptable, who has access, and/or the symbolism of that space to a particular group?
