territorial ownership
Definition
Territorial ownership refers to collective psychological ownership over physical land and geopolitical spaces defined by borders within a national context. It represents the psychological experience of a group perceiving that a country's territory belongs to them, distinct from epistemic ownership which concerns narratives and symbolic borders. Territorial ownership is activated through mechanisms including collective control, intimate knowledge, and collective investment, though these pathways operate differently across majority and minority populations. For ethnic majority groups, territorial ownership claims are associated with perceived exclusive rights and are strengthened by intimate knowledge developed through intergenerational socialization, while for immigrant minorities, collective control emerges as a more salient pathway to territorial ownership claims.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
Related Terms
Applications
Territorial Ownership and Exclusive Determination Rights
For majority group members, territorial ownership is significantly associated with the perception of exclusive determination rights over national decisions and borders. This relationship is substantially stronger than the connection between epistemic ownership and exclusive rights, reflecting how territorial claims serve to justify exclusive control over national futures.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
Territorial Ownership and Intimate Knowledge
Intimate knowledge of the country's history, culture, and narratives serves as a significant predictor of territorial ownership among ethnic majority populations. This pathway operates through intergenerational socialization, strengthening the association between historical knowledge and territorial possession claims.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
Territorial Ownership and Collective Investment
Collective investment—the perception of having contributed to or created the country—is a significant predictor of territorial ownership across both majority and minority groups. Investment claims differ by group status, with majority groups emphasizing historical foundations, while minority groups emphasize contemporary contributions and recent participation.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
