Animal Definitions of Territoriality

Animal Definitions of Territoriality

• Burt (1943) Territory is the protective part of the home range/area around the home site over which the animal normally travels.

• Hediger (1950, 1961) Area animal lives in and prevents other members of his species from entering.

• McBride (1964) Fixed geographic areas maintained and defended against other species members.

Human Definitions of Territoriality

• Sommer (1966) Area controlled or actual possession by an individual, family or group. The area is personalized or marked in some way.

• Altman (1967-1974) Mutually exclusive use of area/objects by persons/groups.

Territoriality

• Problems/Issues

• Definitions based on active defense do not seem appropriate for most human behaviour.
• Effects of deterritorialization highlight the importance of territoriality (e.g., culture shock, deaths in Hmong refugees, discharged psychiatric patients, etc.)

Animal/Human Similarities in Territoriality

• Home territories used for specific behaviours (e.g., rearing of young).

• Relationship between size of territory and social status.

Animal/Human Differences in Territoriality

• Rarity of total invasion/occupation of territory in animals.

• Humans can engage in warfare without trespass.

• Humans admit others to home territory.

• Rarity of territory related fighting on the human individual level.

Functions of Territoriality

• Group identity/bonding

• Role/status setting

• Control (e.g., defensible space, deterritorialization, geographic profiling)