A cross-cultural examination of favorite places

Subjects from Senegal, Ireland, and the United States were asked (a) to identify their favorite place and (b) to give the reason it was chosen. The purpose was to see whether people from different cultures share a preference for certain environmental forms or features, built or natural, that could indicate the existence of cultural universals. The study found far more similarity in place preferences among the different cultures than differences between them, with each country generating almost identical categories of favorite places. Overall, 38% of the subjects identified their own place, belongings, or family home, and 61% identified some part of the natural environment. As favorite places, built environments-particularly those offering social interaction, such as sports centers and places of entertainment-were more often mentioned by those from Senegal. The reasons given for the choice of favorite place fell into place-centered, person-centered, and interactive perspectives.