Proposal:
Focused and narrow perspective:
My topic is derived from Tuan’s theory of home. I will focus on “how people construct a place into home and how the feeling of home is built.” I agree with Tuan’s theory of home, especially with how intimate relationship shapes a person’s sense of home. Therefore, Tuan’s “intimate experience of place” will be the major source I respond to.
Brief description & tentative title:
In my essay, firstly, I will explore what kind of intimate relationships will give people a sense of home, and then explain how this feeling differs from how others think of the same place, as well as how the experience at home is distinct with other places. The title of my paper would probably be “Home is where the heart is”, which exactly points out the importance of home.
Rationale and significance:
When we are talking about place, the most intimate place for everyone is home. Home is important for everyone but has different meaning for everyone. Though people may have different homes, which have different meanings, however, there exist some uniform attitudes towards ‘home’. I choose this topic because when I read Tuan’s essay, I had a strong resonance with what he said. I want to explain my feelings and I hope my readers to think about their feelings toward home, who might share the same feeling of home with me.
Research questions:
I intend to answer: Why different people have different experiences all share a same sense of home? What kind of experience will bring people the feeling of home? How home affected people physically and emotionally? And how people respond to home and outsiders.
I found Tuan’s “intimate experience of place” the most important piece of article for my topic. He generated a special theory about how people’s close relationship helps construct the sense of home. Thus, my essay will focus on responding to Tuan’s research. Mostly I agree with him on how relationship between people affects place. However, I disagree with him with some of his opinion. I believe that intimacy between persons does require knowing each other well and I think physically how a place was constructed will also affect people’s relationship.
Tentative organization:
Annotated Bibliography
Dovey, Kimberly. “Home and Homelessness: Introduction” Human Behavior and Environment: Advances in Theory and Research. By Altman, Irwin and Carol M. Werner eds.New York: Plenum Press, 1977. Print.
This is the article I chose about home. In the article, Dovey illustrated the definition and importance of home. He explained how home as identity is primarily affective and emotional, and reflecting the adage home is where the heart is. This is also an article that response to Tuan’s essays. Therefore, I will use as one to support my point.
Lahiri, Jhumpa. "Rhode Island." State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. By Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey. New York, NY: Ecco, 2008. 101+. Print.
In this article Jhumpa Lahiri used her own experiences to demonstrate how a normal place shifted to a home place. She wrote stories of herself and her family, which showed us how they had changed from unfamiliar strangers to true Rhode Islanders. In the article, Lahiri illustrated how she and her parents were firstly be discriminated but finally got through and become popular and accepted because of their lasting kindness and efforts. Lahiri also shared her deeply rooted feeling toward Rhode Islander. I chose this article because it is a great example of how experience in a place gave a place special meaning and value. And how intimate experience helped build the sense of home.
Tuan, Yifu. "Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative Descriptive Approach." Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Vol. 81. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 684-96. Print.
In this article, Tuan gave evidence and examples from different aspects of language to show that language have great impact on the construction and maintenance of place. Tuan believed that verbal language might help people build a place into what they expected it to be. Because home and hometown are places that have their own culture or language. Language may bond people from the same place and distinct from others.
Tuan, Yi-fu. "Intimate Experience of Place." Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1977. 136-48. Print.
In this article, Tuan gave several real-life examples to prove that the sense home is originated from intimate experience and relationships. He stated that home is one nest in another, which means home represent an intimate relationship which bonds people together. This is the major piece of the articles I will use to illustrate my topic about how intimate experience help construct the feeling of home and how this feeling affect people. Also, I will use my own experience to respond to Tuan’s theory.
Tuan, Yi-fu. "Introduction." Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1977. 3-7. Print.
In the introduction of Space and Place, Tuan introduced the general theory of space and place. Tuan explained how space is different from place. In the article, Tuan stated that place is secure and space is free. Tuan also said that spaces are marked off and defended against intruders. But places are centers of felt value. I chose this section because this gives me a general idea about how space is different from place and this is the most basic concept why experience and intimate experience play a role in the construction of place.
Focused and narrow perspective:
My topic is derived from Tuan’s theory of home. I will focus on “how people construct a place into home and how the feeling of home is built.” I agree with Tuan’s theory of home, especially with how intimate relationship shapes a person’s sense of home. Therefore, Tuan’s “intimate experience of place” will be the major source I respond to.
Brief description & tentative title:
In my essay, firstly, I will explore what kind of intimate relationships will give people a sense of home, and then explain how this feeling differs from how others think of the same place, as well as how the experience at home is distinct with other places. The title of my paper would probably be “Home is where the heart is”, which exactly points out the importance of home.
Rationale and significance:
When we are talking about place, the most intimate place for everyone is home. Home is important for everyone but has different meaning for everyone. Though people may have different homes, which have different meanings, however, there exist some uniform attitudes towards ‘home’. I choose this topic because when I read Tuan’s essay, I had a strong resonance with what he said. I want to explain my feelings and I hope my readers to think about their feelings toward home, who might share the same feeling of home with me.
Research questions:
I intend to answer: Why different people have different experiences all share a same sense of home? What kind of experience will bring people the feeling of home? How home affected people physically and emotionally? And how people respond to home and outsiders.
I found Tuan’s “intimate experience of place” the most important piece of article for my topic. He generated a special theory about how people’s close relationship helps construct the sense of home. Thus, my essay will focus on responding to Tuan’s research. Mostly I agree with him on how relationship between people affects place. However, I disagree with him with some of his opinion. I believe that intimacy between persons does require knowing each other well and I think physically how a place was constructed will also affect people’s relationship.
Tentative organization:
- Explain how experience changes an abstract space into an affective place, use Lahiri’s “Rhode Island” to support my point.
- Explain how intimate experience gave change a place to a home.
- How the feeling of home is different from feeling of other places. And use my own experience as evidence.
- Explain why people with distinct experience all generate a uniform feeling of home.
- States that the physical decoration and construction of place will also affect people’s feelings.
- Language is also a powerful for home building.
Annotated Bibliography
Dovey, Kimberly. “Home and Homelessness: Introduction” Human Behavior and Environment: Advances in Theory and Research. By Altman, Irwin and Carol M. Werner eds.New York: Plenum Press, 1977. Print.
This is the article I chose about home. In the article, Dovey illustrated the definition and importance of home. He explained how home as identity is primarily affective and emotional, and reflecting the adage home is where the heart is. This is also an article that response to Tuan’s essays. Therefore, I will use as one to support my point.
Lahiri, Jhumpa. "Rhode Island." State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. By Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey. New York, NY: Ecco, 2008. 101+. Print.
In this article Jhumpa Lahiri used her own experiences to demonstrate how a normal place shifted to a home place. She wrote stories of herself and her family, which showed us how they had changed from unfamiliar strangers to true Rhode Islanders. In the article, Lahiri illustrated how she and her parents were firstly be discriminated but finally got through and become popular and accepted because of their lasting kindness and efforts. Lahiri also shared her deeply rooted feeling toward Rhode Islander. I chose this article because it is a great example of how experience in a place gave a place special meaning and value. And how intimate experience helped build the sense of home.
Tuan, Yifu. "Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative Descriptive Approach." Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Vol. 81. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 684-96. Print.
In this article, Tuan gave evidence and examples from different aspects of language to show that language have great impact on the construction and maintenance of place. Tuan believed that verbal language might help people build a place into what they expected it to be. Because home and hometown are places that have their own culture or language. Language may bond people from the same place and distinct from others.
Tuan, Yi-fu. "Intimate Experience of Place." Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1977. 136-48. Print.
In this article, Tuan gave several real-life examples to prove that the sense home is originated from intimate experience and relationships. He stated that home is one nest in another, which means home represent an intimate relationship which bonds people together. This is the major piece of the articles I will use to illustrate my topic about how intimate experience help construct the feeling of home and how this feeling affect people. Also, I will use my own experience to respond to Tuan’s theory.
Tuan, Yi-fu. "Introduction." Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1977. 3-7. Print.
In the introduction of Space and Place, Tuan introduced the general theory of space and place. Tuan explained how space is different from place. In the article, Tuan stated that place is secure and space is free. Tuan also said that spaces are marked off and defended against intruders. But places are centers of felt value. I chose this section because this gives me a general idea about how space is different from place and this is the most basic concept why experience and intimate experience play a role in the construction of place.