Local Dwellers’ Socio-emotional-based Connection to a Local Heritage Site

Abstract

A local heritage site is a culturally, historically, or architecturally significant place that reflects a community’s identity. However, few studies explore how long-term residents develop emotional and social bonds with such sites. Grounded in the theory of community attachment, this study investigates the socio-emotionally based connections of local dwellers to a heritage site. Utilizing a semi-structured, researcher-designed interview guide, data was collected through face-to-face interviews with five purposefully selected residents aged 40 - 80, each of whom had lived near the site for at least ten years. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke revealed two (2) overarching themes: (1) Emotion-based connection and (2) Social-based connection - further divided into seven (7) sub-themes: sense of belonging, emotional response, spirituality and religious connection, economic engagement, collective perception of the site, caretaker networks, and collective concerns and preservation efforts, yielding twenty two categories overall. This study concludes that local dwellers possess numerous socio-emotion-based connections to the heritage site, shaped by both emotional and social dimensions of connection, suggesting the site functions as a living part of everyday communal life rather than merely a historical monument.