Hi,

In a broader application of attachment theory, attachment to place also exists. You might find some interesting readings about it here on Researchgate as well. E.g., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228091197_Theory_of_Attachment_and_Place_Attachment

Best wishes and good luck with your thesis,

András

Chapter Theory of Attachment and Place Attachment. In M. Bonnes, T. ...

Dear Shailaja,

in my opinion, there are two scientific sources for your special interest:

1. The emotion "feeling at home" can bei conceptualized as a part of environmental psychology and "psychology of housing" (and the related emotion "feeling at home") can be regarded as a part of environmental psychology. So have a look at:

L. Steg, A.E. van den Berg (2012): Environmental Psychology: An Introduction (There are many hints in several chapters; see particularly chapter 10, 11 and 16). Link:

http://www.amazon.de/Environmental-Psychology-Introduction-BPS-Textbooks/dp/0470976381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1428488815&sr=1-1&keywords=environmental+psychology

[I couldn't find a scientific source for "psychology of housing". Perhaps you find literature in the scientific field "architecture", because the "feeling at home" is there also discussed.]

2. Abraham Maslow discussed "feeling at home" as an existential basic need. He developed a theory of needs. See:

Abraham H. Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs: A Theory of Human Motivation. Link:

http://www.amazon.de/Hierarchy-Needs-Theory-Motivation-English-ebook/dp/B004JKMUKU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1428492324&sr=1-2&keywords=maslow

Hope there are valuable hints for you!

Kind regards, Detlef

http://www.amazon.de/Environmental-Psychology-Introduction-BPS-Textbooks/dp/0470976381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1428488815&sr=1-1&keywords=environmental+psychology

http://www.amazon.de/Hierarchy-Needs-Theory-Motivation-English-ebook/dp/B004JKMUKU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1428492324&sr=1-2&keywords=maslow

Hi

I would humbly direct you to my own researchgate page and to the references in many of the papers I've contributed to - and also to this Q&A stream pasted in below, opened by Nelson Orringer last year, to which I also chipped in with some answers relevant to your important question ... Also you should check out the philosophy of 'being at home' - not only our riffs on the theme of Diogenes and his barrel, but also, eg, Derrida on hostipitality and Heidegger on 'Building dwelling thinking' ...

Best wishes

John

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_Do_You_Understand_by_the_Idea_of_Home_How_Does_Your_Country_Conceive_It_How_Does_Your_Nation_Treat_the_Homeless

Hi Shailaja,

You might find the place attachment work by Robert Gifford and Leila Scannell of interest: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222185234_Defining_place_attachment_A_tripartite_organizing_framework?ev=prf_pub

Colin

Article Defining Place Attachment: A Tripartite Organizing Framework

If you looked and looked and really can't find anything that describes what you are looking for, would you consider a qualitative study about the topic?

Personally I believe your question to be an important one.  We're a population that moves a lot.  Our large older population is downsizing looking for smaller homes.  What makes them feel at home in a new home is a great question. 

It is possible to interview a number of people and ask them what does it feel like to feel at home?  Also what influences those feeling?

Do let us know about the results before any of us move again!

Have you heard home is where the heart is? Home I would think is in a general sense absence of anxiety, very few unknowns(little uncertainty) or anything that can cause a flight of fight response is reduced to a minimum. Hope that helps!

Anxiety can be experienced as either a trait (habitual) or a state (momentary). "Feeling at home" is low state anxiety. For more details, and how to measure it, see (Marteau & Becker, 2011):

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1992.tb00997.x/abstract;jsessionid=92930D3D8AF9FCF2525D87BD8106F8D7.f02t04

Dear all,

Thank you for all your answers. There is a lot of information there. Will be following it up. Just to add details of my topic as I asked about it. It is "Spatiality of 'Feeling at Home'  - A hermeneutic phenomenological exploration within the residential architecture of [architect]".This I point out because feeling at home can occur in non residential contexts also e.g. work environments. In all cases, this emotion has a spatial aspect albeit in conjunction with many other aspects, and as an architect I find this very interesting. I am locating the study within the residences designed by a single architect.

Hi all,

You may find something helpful in this generalist perusal of the subject:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1169645.Places_of_the_Soul

I think it canvasses the human element in terms that should be prioritised by any one who is tasked with shaping homes and comfortable spaces for people. It has a strong focus on the sensory experience of place - which might tie in well with considerations of the role of anxiety and the built environment. 

 There is a large phenomenological literature on the topics. See various issue of ENVIRONMENTAL & ARCHITECTURAL PHENOMENOLOGY, posted on this site. Also check the review articles I have posted on this site. A more extensive set of articles is on my site at academia.edu

David Seamon