The two concepts of the house and home are closely linked as the house is the outer shell and the home is the inner substance of the self. However they do differ. Generally an individual’s identity is closely associated to a place, and therefore when an individual losses their home through, for example, becoming homeless or exiled then they can loss a sense of their own identity. A specific place can have great importance regarding identity because it contains a link to both memories of growing up and also a link to ancestors and the individual’s culture. Individuals try to consolidate their sense of belonging and identity into the substance into the house, making it their home. The home provides them with security fulfilling their basic needs of warmth, comfort and somewhere they can always return to. In a sense it is their territory and that area is where they know and understand best, a place of refuge and rest.
A home is not the same for each individual and one individual’s home may be the opposite of another. It is possible to share the same home with other family members and for them to see it differently. That is because people do not all share the same emotions as these are expressed differently through each person because of their life experiences. Although the home and surroundings have an effect on an individual’s personality, people can live in the same home as someone else and have differing personalities. If a home helps create you and forms part of life and identity then moving home or losing a home can be difficult. When people move to a new home they often try to bring their identity to the new home by changing the decoration and making it ‘theirs’. It can also be a time when a compromise is made with the new surroundings and the idea of identity and ego.


Maria Christoforatou

www.mariachris.com

contact@mariachris.com

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