Territoriality

Abstract Territoriality is an important part of the way in which individuals and groups bring the environment under their control. After an introduction that defines territoriality as the processes and mechanisms by which people establish, maintain, and exert control over bounded portions of the Earth's surface, this entry has four further sections. The first argues that the roots of territoriality stem from culture rather than instinct. The next considers instances of territoriality overlain by conflict and inequality. It examines use of territoriality by dominant groups in society to exert control over others and surveys cases of territorial behavior deployed by residents in defence of their neighborhoods. The third part deals with debates about the linkage of territoriality with defensible space and urban resilience. The final part argues that, once established, borders and boundaries are seldom challenged. As such, territoriality can become an intrinsically positive part of the reliable background to everyday urban life, endowing space with symbolic meaning, helping to promote belonging, and reinforcing identity.