https://esl.uchicago.edu/2023/11/01/third-places-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important-to-american-culture/
https://chicagomaroon.com/39711/grey-city/an-incidental-goodness-in-search-of-a-third-place-at-uchicago/#
The idea of third spaces and exploring the emergence and disappearances of third spaces is what I will be talking about today. There is an idea that humans have different spaces where they find community and connection. The first of these spaces is typically the home setting where humans can invite others into their space and find community or are able to be alone. The second spaces are often the workplace. In the workplace, although there is an obligation to be there, humans still can find a community and hopefully do not feel that they are in a hostile environment. The term ‘third space’ was coined by the American psychologist, Ray Oldenburg, and it basically is anyplace outside of home or the workplace where an individual can connect and converse with their community.
Some examples of third spaces are places such as malls, coffee shops, parks, roller rinks, bowling alleys, or anywhere else that people can go for relatively little money and spend time connecting with others. These spaces are very important for community building along with being a place that individuals can go outside of the home and feel safe. Third spaces are places where, if there are issues in the first or second spaces, the individual can still feel comfortable and that they have a community around them.
One of the most common third spaces is the coffee shop. In coffee shops, people are able to sit and plug into themselves or their work while also being surrounded by others who have a very similar goal. Further, coffee shops offer a space where patrons can go and get a beverage that they can enjoy. Unlike bars and taverns, coffee shops offer a less intoxicating escape for people to go and be around others. However, third spaces have been seeing a shift in recent years, especially with the COVID-19 epidemic.
During COVID-19, many third spaces had closed or now were working at a capacity lower than what previously had been. Further, it could be unsafe to go to these third spaces and risk either exposing yourself or others to COVID-19.
However, not all third spaces need to be places where people must leave their homes to find community. With the rise of social media platforms, many people are finding their communities and third spaces in the online realm. Online communities are an outlet for people to connect with others who have similar interests. Although online communities do not connect the individual to their direct community in the real world, online communities are great spaces where individuals with similar interests are able to connect and engage in conversations about their interests. Especially during COVID-19 but also with the rise of social media and the internet, online spaces created an escape for people to still be able to find community without the risk of getting sick.
Online communities do have some drawbacks though. An example of a drawback is that people often sensor themselves less in an online space and are more likely to be offensive because they are being protected by a screen. Further, online communities can create isolation of an individual from their real-life communities. This disconnect can lead to a space that was once a nice escape to becoming an isolating burden for individuals.
With the end of isolation restrictions from the pandemic, I hope to see the reemergence of third spaces in the real world, along with a possible ‘fourth’ space in the digital realm for people. I think that third spaces are very important places that need to be preserved not only for their usefulness in building community but also for creating a safe, comfortable environment for individuals.