Dissertation
An Ethos of Place: A Historical Understanding of Place Experience through Ethos-Intensive Objects
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117065
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to construct a historical understanding of place experience through the identification of ethos-intensive objects viewed in the context of place theory in order to determine their impact on local place experience. The argument for this study centers around the definition of the word ethos and its contribution to a logical framework derived from the three Greek meanings of ethos overlaid with Henri Lefebvre's categories of spatial production. Employing qualitative methods, the research approach is to first construct a logical argument framework and then to apply the framework to three case studies of different American cities over time, constructing for each a historical narrative of an ethos of place. The study's objectives are to determine categories that provide a definition of an ethos of place, suggest how these categories might distinguish place in culture today, and assist designers in exploring the effectiveness of the built environment as it contributes to an ethos of place. The intent is to provide prototypical examples of how ethos-intensive objects contribute to the human attribution of meaning in specific physical locales and, consequently, to the ethos of a particular place. An ethos of place exists in the experience surrounding environments represented in ethos-intensive objects specific to those physical locales. Ethos-intensive objects are features of the built environment that hold particular meaning for people relative to specific locations and are central to defining, understanding, and experiencing an ethos of place. Ethos-intensive objects representative of cultural expression relative to each locale will contribute to the construction of an interpretive narrative of place experience for each of three case studies. The ethos of place framework both contributes to existing place theory and challenges notions that view physical space and objects as primary to place experience. The research outcome is to posit a generalizable theory based on the sum of the case studies in order to determine place characteristics that contribute to an ethos of place, recognizing historical changes over time as well as differences that contribute to a collective place experience.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- An Ethos of Place: A Historical Understanding of Place Experience through Ethos-Intensive Objects
- Creators
- Dana Elizabeth Vaux
- Contributors
- David Wang (Advisor)Jo Ann A. Thompson (Committee Member)Robert Scarfo (Committee Member)J. Philip Gruen (Committee Member)Jeffrey C. Sanders (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Graduate School
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 271
- Identifiers
- 99900581841201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation