Spaces or Places?

Normally, we would think that the word space and place are not different from one another.  When we use it in a sentence, the meaning is kind of the same, but it really is something different.  Even though they are close, we use it in a slightly distinct way.  From my point of view, space refers to physical aspects of this world.  The Earth is one big space that we are all in.  Spaces are more ambiguous and undefined.  On the other hand, place refers to a more psychological quality.  When we talk about a place, we already have some knowledge, some impressions, and some memories of that particular space.  Places are spaces, but not all spaces can be places.

Again, since this is a theory, it is according to one’s point of view.  A place for one person could be a space for another, because there is no attachment from that space towards the person.  Time can affect space/place concept, too, since users and environment change all the time.

The movie we watch in class, Powaqqatsi, is a great example of the concept.  First the movie showed different empty landscapes, and then people started to come in and live in those areas.  They build structures, inhabit in the area, doing various activities, so those originally spaces became places for these peoples.