Connections, Demographic & Cultural Characteristics (Edexcel A Level Geography)

Regional & National Influences on Place Characteristics

• Regional and national influences shape the demographic and cultural characteristics of places, both through past and present connections

• Transport connections

  • Larger settlements often have multiple transport routes e.g. motorways, rail 

    • Liverpool, located in North-west England, has significant road, rail and ferry networks

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Transport infrastructure of Liverpool

• Smaller or more peripheral settlements often have fewer major road and rail connections 

  • Lerwick, located in Shetland, is relatively isolated as it has no rail service or motorways

  • The transport infrastructure consists of a road network, a ferry terminal, bus routes and an airport

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Transport infrastructure of Lerwick

• Physical characteristics

  • The surrounding landscape can shape the character of a place

  • Coastal settlements can form trade connections with other coastal settlements e.g. Liverpool’s location on the River Mersey allowed easy trade with and access from Ireland

    • This contributed to a history of Irish migration to Liverpool, widening its cultural diversity

  • Physically isolated places, such as Lerwick, experience less trade and immigration, which can limit cultural diversity

• Industrial development

  • Places can have strong historical associations with certain industries e.g.

    • Fishing has been the main industry in Lerwick, since the 17th century 

    • Liverpool was an important hub for textile imports during the Industrial Revolution

• National policies

  • Different migration policies may impact the demographics 

    • For example, the Windrush Generation - immigrants arriving from the Caribbean (as well as other Commonwealth countries) to fill labour shortages after World War II, around 15% settled in Liverpool

  • The Northern Powerhouse Initiative is a scheme designed to boost economic growth and productivity in northern cities through improved transport links, and investment in science, innovation and culture

    • The government awarded a £35 million grant to the Liverpool2 port programme to enable larger container ships to dock at Liverpool

Impact on people

• All places have a perceived image, which shapes people’s view of the place as either positive or negative 

  • Liverpool could be perceived as a modern, busy place, where there is lots to do

  • Lerwick could be perceived as being very remote (12-hour ferry trip from Aberdeen) with few services 

• These images and perceptions can affect the lives of students and other groups of people:

  • Students might not want to study at a university due to their perception of the place

  • Young people may feel they want to leave a place with a less positive image 

  • Places with more positive images tend to attract more people (internal and international migration)

  • There are likely to be more job opportunities in places with positive images as companies are also attracted to them

• Continuity (things staying the same) and change affect people in different ways

• Deindustrialisation can have a number of impacts including:

  • Higher levels of unemployment

  • The connection between people (who worked in the industry) and local industries can remain strong even after the industry has disappeared e.g. the steel industry in Middlesbrough

  • If the abandoned buildings remain, with no development, young people and migrants often perceive the area as run-down with fewer economic opportunities

  • Development of the area may attract migrants, with a wider set of skills, in search of employment opportunities

  • Older workers with the original, older industrial skill set may resent the new forms of industry and the migrants

• Migration

  • With new economic development, places can attract a younger and more ethnically diverse population

  • Some people may welcome this diversity and learn more about the different cultures

  • Other people may not like the change in the demographics of the local area and oppose immigration

  • As urban centres become more crowded, wealthier people move out of these areas 

• Inner city regeneration

  • Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the UK authorities demolished terraced housing, replacing them with high-rise flats to cope with the increased demand for housing

  • Many people felt more isolated from one another in these tower blocks, which reduced the sense of community

  • During the 1990s, new developments replaced the tower blocks, some of which were experiencing structural decay due to the rushed construction

  • Inner city areas are undergoing regeneration (funded by the UK government) to create sustainable developments combining housing, leisure and business and improve community spirit 

• Improving broadband and mobile infrastructure

  • The rollout of a more efficient broadband and mobile infrastructure has enabled more businesses to operate from rural areas

  • It has also encouraged more young people to stay in villages

  • It allows people to work from home and reduces the need to commute to urban centres

• Diversification

  • Some farmers choose to diversify their farmland e.g.

    • Generating renewable energy (solar farms)

    • Building new holiday accommodation for tourists

    • Offering leisure pursuits (alpaca trekking, quad biking)

  • This has created new employment opportunities in rural areas, especially for younger people 

  • Rural places experiencing this diversification will attract more young people

• Growth of commuter villages 

  • As rural villages grow due to counter-urbanisation, they begin to lose their rural character e.g. increased housing density

  • Urban incomers may retain their urban focus, spending a lot of their time and money in the city

  • Some long-term residents of these rural villages may resent these changes and the new arrivals

International & Global Influences

• International and global influences can also shape the demographics and cultural characteristics of places 

  • Demographics and cultural characteristics may change if there is free movement of migration

• Transnational corporations (TNCs) may set up part of their business in an area, creating jobs and enhancing the local economy

  • Global companies, like Unilever and Princes Food, have headquarters in Liverpool 

• Globalisation and TNCs have contributed to deindustrialisation with the global shift in manufacturing to emerging and developing countries

  • In these countries, wages are lower and working hours are longer, so TNCs make more profit

  • The global shift in the manufacturing industry led to the decline in coal, glass and vehicle manufacturing, and shipbuilding in Liverpool and the surrounding area of Merseyside 

  • Liverpool’s workforce was 30% smaller in 1990 compared to the 1970s, due to deindustrialisation 

    • Liverpool’s population declined annually by 2% over this period

• International migration

  • The free movement of people gave European Union (EU) citizens the right to travel, live and work in any EU country

    • 2.5% of Liverpool's population are EU migrants (predominantly Polish)

    • In Lerwick, when the fish processing factory is in full production, the staffing numbers double

      • These temporary roles are mainly filled by seasonal workers from the EU

  • International migration influences a place through food, music, language and religions e.g.

    • The Al-Rahma mosque in Liverpool holds up to 2500 worshippers, reflecting the religious diversity within the city

    • In Lerwick, there is still evidence of Norse (Viking) influences in the area, such as the names of places, geographical features and birds

      • The Viking and Norse heritage is celebrated annually with the Up Helly Aa celebration in January

• Global competition may cause a place to experience economic decline

  • E.g. In 2010, the mackerel fishing industry in Lerwick faced strong competition, when Iceland’s government increased the fishing quota, allowing Icelandic fishermen to catch higher volumes of fish

• Tourism can increase the number of international visitors when a place advertises its unique features

  • For 317,156 people visit The Beatles Story exhibition in Liverpool every year, with 60% coming from overseas

• International transport connections make places more accessible and attractive to TNCs

  • E.g. Liverpool John Lennon Airport connects the city to 23 countries across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; handling over 5 million people every year

• Cultural and sporting events

  • Large events can help shape the culture of a place and raise its cultural profile.

  • E.g. Liverpool is home to the World Museum (displaying artefacts from around the world) and was awarded the European Capital of Culture in 2008

    • This positive image has resulted in Liverpool being the fifth most visited UK city by international tourists

Impacts of Demographic & Cultural Changes on Identity

• Demographic and cultural changes in an area can affect the lives of people and influence their identity

• Where people share similar ideals and values, a community (with shared beliefs and a way of life) can form and create a collective identity

• This collective identity becomes connected to a place, so changes to a place can affect how people view themselves

• Any changes to the place can impact how people view themselves and alter their sense of belonging to that community

  • Some people embrace the change (e.g. increasing diversity)

  • Other people may feel that the original identity of a place has been lost 

• Migration to a place can change the sense of community

  • If a place is economically successful, it can attract more migrants, leading to a more diverse community

  • Migrants bring their own cultures (beliefs, values, way of life), which can enhance the local community

  • The mixing of cultures can make people more tolerant and open-minded:

    • In Liverpool, Chinatown celebrates the long history of Chinese immigration to the city through its unique architecture and authentic restaurants

    • Despite the limited ethnic diversity in Lerwick, it embraces its Nordic heritage through the Nordic street names and annual Viking festival

  • However, local people may feel their community is being eroded by the addition of new cultures

  • If there is a strong place identity, an influx of migrants could weaken this

    • Feelings of cultural erosion can lead to racial tension between different ethnic groups

    • E.g. the 1981 Toxteth riots highlighted how Black people felt about being targeted by stop and search tactics of the police

    • The riots were exacerbated by the poverty and deprivation experienced by the residents of Toxteth (which has a high percentage of ethnic minorities and unemployed)

  • Industrial change 

    • If the function of a place changes, old industries may close down and be replaced by new industries

    • This could lead to a divided community between those people who can work in the new economy and those who have lost their jobs

    • The rise in inequality can affect the identity of people in the area, as the people who are now unemployed may feel isolated