Exploring the linkage effects of place attachment in rural areas using the fuzzy analytic network process

• Published in: Journal of travel & tourism marketing Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 461 - 478
• Main Authors: Lu, Chi-Fang, Lin, Ling-Zhong, Yeh, Huery-Ren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Binghamton Taylor & Francis LLC 04.05.2018
• Subjects: Studies
• ISSN: 1054-8408; 1540-7306
• DOI: 10.1080/10548408.2017.1363682

Though previous research has developed an evaluation measurement for place attachment, it has ignored the interdependence of the criteria and subcriteria associated with that evaluation tool. Because it is challenging for researchers to digest the multi-criteria messages presented in place attachment and to understand the multiple place attachment terms, this study adopts the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) model to identify the characteristics of place attachment, and categorizes these characteristics into three dimensions, namely personal context, community context, and environment context. Using the FANP model, an empirical survey was conducted that included the collected survey data of 187 respondents from the Meinong region of Taiwan to determine the typical features of place attachment. Our research results demonstrate that, with respect to successful community involvement, familiarity is essential for place attachment. As familiarity establishes social ties with the setting, one's emotional attachment to the location or environment increases. The ability to define clear priority weights for personal, community, and environment contexts is one of the benefits of using the FANP method to evaluate place attachment. Accordingly, the findings regarding these three contexts raise issues about the role of local government and self-efficacy in place attachment in Taiwanese environments.