- Identity- this is anything which can be used to showcase someone that they belong to a place. This can take place on different scales. On a local scale, this can be local idioms and cuisines. On a regional scale, this can be accents like a cockney accent and on a national scale this can include flags, anthems and cuisines. People have a strong sense of identity for example during the euro 2020 where fans had shown their identity through flags and football shirts.
- Belonging- this is what makes a person feel as if they belong to a place, which can be a document which shows that they belong to that place like a birth certificate , passports and understanding the local customs and idioms will stop the idea of belonging. some people may be geographically near to a place but feel as if they are outsiders because they are unaware of the social customs of that place which leads to them being socially excluded from a place. for instance, often when immigrants come into a country they may not have legal documentation to show that they belong to a place even if they have lived there for many years like a passport.
An example of where both identity and belonging can be seen in the importance of a place is in Totnes, Devon. When Costa Coffee announced plans to open another change in the town the local residents had got together and signed a petition which stated that they would boycott the chain in and aim to protect local independent coffee shops. The petition was then signed by 75% of the town. This shows that local people have a strong identity for local coffee shops I wanted to protect the culture of these independent shops. in addition, the towns residents wanted to prevent Totness from turning into a clone town, which would have changed the local an identity of Totnes. The petition itself symbolises a document that if signed showed that you belonged to that town as signing it makes you part of something bigger.