Through this, some have argued that place identity has become an area for social change because it gives marginalized communities agency[clarification needed] over their own spaces.
[1] In the same respect, it is argued that place identity has also been used to intervene social change and perpetuate oppression from a top-down approach by creating segregated spaces for marginalized communities.
[2] In addition, identity also conceptualizes feelings of security and freedom as one is able to self-identify and especially when it comes to being able to foster agency over community formation.
[2] In addition, the similar and shared experiences of culture, language and locality foster the sense of community.
[3] Methodologies for understanding place identity primarily involve qualitative techniques, such as interviewing, participant observation, discourse analysis and mapping a range of physical elements.
[citation needed] In a study by Lee Cuba and David M. Hummon (1993), they focus on Cape Cod, Massachusetts residents and how social and environmental factors are associated with place identity.
Community members were asked if they feel at home in Cape Cod to measure the positive responses for existence.