A Preliminary Analysis of Attachment to Special Places among Community Residents in Northern Michigan

Abstract

Many studies have taken place that seek to gain an understanding of the influences upon attachment to special places. These studies have been largely qualitative in nature and have succeeded in identifying quantifiable variables that can be useful in measuring basic levels of attachment to special places, e.g., length of time that one has been associated with special places and number of times per year that one visits his/her special places. While most studies have been predominately used to describe the importance of specific places to people who visit those places, this study seeks to identify the benefits that attachment to special places may have for residents at a community level. A study of four different communities in the Michigan Upper Peninsula was conducted in the summer of 1999. Four hundred private property owners were randomly selected from each community and mailed an in-depth survey regarding their use of public and private lands, special place attachment, and satisfaction with community as a place to live. One purpose of this survey was to compare, between communities, the level of attachent to special places on public and private lands, the types of activities participated in on public and private lands, and the level of community satisfaction. Additionally, the relationship between the variables is to be compared between the four communities in order to examine the different roles that special places may play at the community level. This paper presents a preliminary descriptive analysis of the four communities. Data to be presented include demographics, quantitative measures of special places (number of places, years visited, number of times per year visited) and satisfaction with community as a place to live. Differences between communities will also be discussed.

Citation

Custer, Janna B.; Blahna, Dale J. 2000. A Preliminary Analysis of Attachment to Special Places among Community Residents in Northern Michigan. In: Schneider, Ingrid E.;et al., eds. The Third Symposium on Social Aspects and Recreation Research; Tempe, AZ. [Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University]: 7-16