The concept of "a sense of place" denotes more than physical space.
             In sociological terms, a sense of space refers to the meanings people
             attach to the place or environment. This thus includes the orientation of
             people towards that place, the understandings and feelings that people
             generally attach to that environment (Hummon 253).
             These meanings could take on different forms. In some contexts, the
             sense of place could be a cohesive force that pulls people together into a
             community. In other cases, the sense of place may involve alienation,
             resulting in people who do not identify with a certain space or who may be
             prevented from full participation (Hummon 278).
             This concept of a sense of place as alienation can be seen at work in
             the United States Congress. When Congress was initially convened in 1774,
             women could not vote, much less hold office. Both the Senate and the Lower
             House acquired a very strong masculine sense of space. It would not be
             until 1917 when a woman would break into this masculine space.
             Today, there 13 women in the Senate and 59 women in the Lower House
             (Elvin). This could be seen as a sign of improvement, since there are more
             women serving in the 108th United States Congress than at any other time in
             history. However, despite the record numbers, women constitute only 16
             percent of the legislators in the country. Furthermore, the number of
             women holding office in the state level has dropped by 12 percent this year
             In fact, despite the record increase, the United States trails its
             European counterparts and many other developing nations in terms of women
             in Congress. Despite its global economic dominance, the United States
             trails five dozen other countries in the percentage of women serving in
             national legislatures. Furthermore, the United States has not had a female
             Thus, despite recent advancements, the Uni
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