Independent Study | 3 Concepts of 'Home'

Prescribed Readings 

Mallett, S. (2004). Understanding home: a critical review of the literature. The Sociological Review, 52(1), 62-89.

Porteous, J. D. (1976). Home: The territorial core. Geographical Review, 66(4), 383-390. 

Home.. What's that?

Home
n. 1. The place or a place where one lives: have you no home to go to?
2. a house or other dwelling.
3. a family or other group living in a house or other place.
4. a person’s country, city, esp. viewed as a birthplace, a residence during
one’s early years, or a place dear to one.
5. the environment or habitat of a person or animal.
6. the place where something is invented, founded or developed: the US is
the home of baseball.
7.a. a building or organization set up to care for orphans, the aged etc b. an
informal name for a mental home.
12. a home from home a place other than one’s own home where one can
be at ease.
14. at home in, on, or with. familiar or conversant with.

The Editorial Board of The Sociological Review 2004 


3 Concepts of Home

1. Home as a concept involves 'both movement and strangers'. 

As Amed (1999) mentions, it is not so much where and when people come and go but more so revolves around the encounters of these movements. Also 'home' may also cover one's country, city or town where 'one’s family lives or comes from and/or where one usually lives.' It is something that is located in space but not necessarily tied that one space. Also it does not simply mean a house, shelter or household in this sense.

Mallett, S. (2004), P78,79

2. Home is more about where you are going more than where you are from. Ginsburg (1999)

This statement is reinforced by Tucker (1994) who highlights that 'home-searching is a basic trait of human nature' and it is part of human nature to migrate to ensure their survival. Dovey (1985) claims that boundaries of time and experience of being at home is established through these journeys.

Mallett, S. (2004), P77, 78

3. Home is a place where both the individual and family is provided with three territorial satisfactions.

These satisfactions come from the personalisation of space and defence of space. This is also a concept of psychic and physical security which are usually represented in the forms of bedrooms, boudoirs or studies.

Porteous, J. D. (1976), P383