Abstract
This paper discusses landscape research from the conceptual perspective of "transaction", a defining concept in the field of Environmental Psychology. Two case studies of rural landscapes and local identity conducted by the author are introduced to detail how the concept of transaction can improve landscape research. The paper consists of four sections. The first section discusses the importance of transaction in landscape research, asserting that the increased importance of ordinary landscapes and local identity within landscape conservation calls for a concept such as transaction that provides a framework for identifying the interconnections between subject and object. The second and third sections describe the two case studies, including descriptions of the targets of analysis and research methods. The first case study presents the results of research that identifies the importance of greenhouse landscapes to local identity. The second case study details an analysis of research that examines the relationship between social practices and ordinary landscape recognized as local identity by rural residents. Both of these case studies focus on 1) local context, 2) qualitative methods, and 3) the relationship between landscape and subjects. The fourth and final section concludes by suggesting that the purpose of landscape research based on the concept of transaction is to identify the dynamic and deep relationships between landscape and subjects in terms of local context.
