Does higher place difficulty predict increased attachment? The moderating role of identity

Leonith Hinojosa Valencia (1) , Naoufel Mzoughi (2) , Claude Napoleone (2) , Wilma Guerrero Villegas (3)

1 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
2 ECODEVELOPPEMENT - Unité de recherche d'Écodéveloppement
3 UTN - Universidad Técnica del Norte

In a contribution conducted in the French Southern Alps,Hinojosa et al. (2016)suggested that place attachmentis relatively higher where it is difficult to live. We examine whether thisfigure holds in other environmentsbringing insight on a likely general tenet. A study using comparable survey data in two different ecosystems ofEcuador (the mountains and the subtropics) reveals, indeed, that higher place difficulty predicts increased at-tachment. Nevertheless, our results show that place difficulty is not significant when considered solely, that is,regardless of an additional element: place identity. In the Andean mountains, place attachment is found to behigher in more difficult areas only when place identity plays a role in individuals' views of their local community(their district). In the subtropical area of Intag, place difficulty is found to be a predictor of attachment regardlessof place identity.

Mots clés: place identity; place difficulty; place attachment; ecuador; intag

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]; Sciences de l'Homme et Société

Leonith Hinojosa Valencia, Naoufel Mzoughi, Claude Napoleone, Wilma Guerrero Villegas. Does higher place difficulty predict increased attachment? The moderating role of identity. Ecological Economics, 2019, 165, 7 p. ⟨10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106399⟩. ⟨hal-02618708⟩