Place-related identity, texts, and transcultural meanings Dominic Wyse*, Maria Nikolajeva, Emma Charlton, Gabrielle Cliff Hodges, Pam Pointon and Liz Taylor University of Cambridge, UK The spatial turn has been marked by increasing interest in conceptions of space and place in diverse areas of research. However, the important links between place and identity have received less attention, particularly in educational research. This paper reports an 18-month research pro- ject that aimed to develop a theory of place-related identity through the textual transactions of reading and writing. The research was an in-depth qualitative study in two phases: the first phase involved the development of an interdisciplinary theory of place-related identity, which was ‘tested’ in a second empirical phase. Two contrasting primary school classes were the site for the research that included the development of a unit of work, inspired by the book My place, as a vehicle for exploring place-related identity. The data were interviews, classroom observa- tions and outcomes from pupils’ work. The construct of transcultural meanings, established from the analytic categories of localising identity, othering identity and identity as belonging, was identified as a defining phenomenon of place-related identity. The conclusions offer reflec- tions on the development of our initial theory as a result of the empirical work, and the implica- tions for practice and future research. Introduction The spatial turn is characterised by the interpretation of space as a vital existential force shaping lives (Soja, 2009). A central idea is that ‘where events unfold is inte- gral to how they take shape’ (Warf & Arias, 2009, p. 10). The spatial turn has influenced thinking about literacy and its development (cf. Leander & Sheehy, 2004), identity (cf. Newman et al., 2006), attitudes to the environment (cf. Grunewald, 2003), attitudes to others (cf. Anderson, 2004), social justice (cf. Comber et al., 2006), curriculum (cf. Comber & Nixon, 2008) and educational structures (Paechter, 2004a). New understandings of globalisation in relation to *Corresponding author. University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education, 184 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PQ, UK. Email: bdw28@cam.ac.uk British Educational Research Journal Vol. 38, No. 6, December 2012, pp. 1019–1039 ISSN 0141-1926 (print)/ISSN 1469-3518 (online)/12/061019-21 Ó 2012 British Educational Research Association http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2011.608251