Félonneau, M.L., 2004, Love and loathing of the city: urbanophilia and urbanophobia, topological identity and perceived incivilities, in: Journal of Environmental Psychology, ,
- Author : Félonneau, M.L.
- Year : 2004
- Journal/Series : Journal of Environmental Psychology
- Pages : 43-52
- Abstract in English : This article examines how overall adherence to an ideology --favourable or unfavourable -- to the city affects the practical ways in which one identifies with the city in which one lives. In this paper, the authors present the first stage of an ongoing project within the field of environmental social psychology. The question is: how do subjects relate to their environments and to what extent does this environmental relationship provide the basis for psychological and symbolic feelings of belongingness. How is the ideology one holds towards the city – favourable or unfavourable – related to one’s identification with the specific city in which one resides? How do these ideological and identification variables affect the ways individuals perceive negative environmental stimuli, depicted here in term of incivilities? In this paper two notions have been introduce “urbanophobia” and “urbanophilia”. The authors call subjects “urbanophiles’ if they hold pro-urban attitudes, ‘urbanophobes” when they are characterized by an attitude more anti-urban attitudes. The overall result is that the students (subjects) more often chose nonurban characteristics to describe their ideal city. (Greenery, cleanliness, welcoming, safe, unpolluted and helping others in need). This may influence the attitude. The authors assert that urbanophilia is more closely associated with strong topological identity than urbanophobia is with weak topological identity. The urbanophile attitudes corresponds to a strong topological identity and a tendency to underestimate the frequently of uncivil behaviours…This urbanophobia constitutes in some ways a corollary of the “biophilia hypothesis” developed by Wilson in the 1990s. Ones sees that the preference for natural environments is widespread across the whole society and resurfacing as the these of ecologists gain more support and with increasing media coverage of urban pollution, violence and insecurity, as much in Europe as in the United States.
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: Place attachment, place identity, urbanophobia, urbanophilia, urbanophile, urbanophobes [quality of life]