Military vs. Civilian Senses of Place

Abstract

Individuals affiliated with the military often move frequently compared to civilians. This paper aims to address if moving frequently affects affiliated military members’ sense of place compared to civilians who often move less frequently. This study is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, conducting research through the form of surveys and in-person interviews. Over two hundred surveys were completed over the duration of two months; of the respondents, 42% are affiliated in the military, and 58% are civilians. Several in-person interviews were also completed. Through the data collected, it was found that individuals affiliated with the military move significantly more compared to civilians (2.08:0.91 per decade). However, moving was shown to not be a significant factor in relation to ones’ sense of place or how a sense of place is formed.