The Third Space is a

postcolonial Postcolonialism (also post-colonial theory) is the critical academic study of the cultural, political and economic consequences of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the impact of human control and extractivism, exploitation of colonized pe ...

sociolinguistic Sociolinguistics is the descriptive, scientific study of how language is shaped by, and used differently within, any given society. The field largely looks at how a language changes between distinct social groups, as well as how it varies unde ...

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

of identity and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

realized through language. It is attributed to

Homi K. Bhabha Homi Kharshedji Bhabha (; born 1 November 1949) is an Indian people, Indian scholar and Critical Theorist, critical theorist. He is the Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University. He is one of the most important figur ...

. Third Space Theory explains the uniqueness of each person, actor or context as a "hybrid". See Edward W. Soja for a conceptualization of the term within the social sciences and from a critical urban theory perspective.

Origins

Third Space theory emerges from the sociocultural tradition in psychology identified with

Lev Vygotsky Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (, ; ; – June 11, 1934) was a Russian and Soviet psychologist, best known for his work on psychological development in children and creating the framework known as cultural-historical activity theory. After his ear ...

. Sociocultural approaches are concerned with the "... constitutive role of culture in mind, i.e., on how mind develops by incorporating the community's shared artifacts accumulated over generations". Bhabha applies socioculturalism directly to the postcolonial condition, where there are, "... unequal and uneven forces of cultural representation".

Wider use

In discourse of dissent, the Third Space has come to have two interpretations: * that space where the oppressed plot their liberation: the whispering corners of the tavern or the bazaar * that space where oppressed and oppressor are able to come together, free (maybe only momentarily) of oppression itself, embodied in their particularity. In educational studies, Maniotes examined literary Third Space in a classroom where students' cultural capital merged with content of the curriculum as students backed up their arguments in literature discussions. Skerrett associates it with a multiliteracies approach. Pre-school: Third Space Theory has been applied to the prespace within which children learn to read, bringing domestic and school literacy practices into their own constructions of literacy. Another contemporary construction of three "spaces" is that one space is the domestic sphere: the family and the home; a second space is the sphere of civic engagement including school, work and other forms of public participation; and set against these is a Third Space where individual, sometimes professional, and sometimes transgressive acts are played out: where people let their "real" selves show. Sporting associations may be labeled as Third Space. Often bars and nightclubs are so labeled (Law 2000, 46–47). Latterly the term Third Space has been appropriated into brand marketing where domestic spaces and workforce-engagement spaces are set against recreational retail space: shopping malls as third spaces (see

Third place In sociology, the third place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and the workplace ("second place"). Examples of third places include Church (building), churches, C ...

, Postrel 2006; and see also Davis 2008). Bill Thompson (2007) offers an opposite conceptualisation of Third Space as public, civic space in the built environment under pressure from shopping malls and corporate enterprises, transforming public space into an extension of the market. Higher education: The Third Space is used by Whitchurch to describe a subset of staff in Higher Education that work in roles which cross the boundaries of professional/administrative and academic spheres, providing expert advice relating to learning and teaching without being practitioners. These include Learning/Instructional Designers and Education Technologists, among others.

Explanatory and predictive use

Third Space Theory can explain some of the complexity of poverty, social exclusion and social inclusion, and might help predict what sort of initiatives would more effectively ameliorate poverty and exclusion. Bonds of affinity (class, kin, location: e.g. neighbourhood, etc.) can function as "poverty traps".Hoff, Karla, and Arjit Sen. 2005. The Kin System as A Poverty Trap? World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3575. World Bank Third Space Theory suggests that every person is a hybrid of their unique set of affinities (identity factors). Conditions and locations of social and cultural exclusion have their reflection in symbolic conditions and locations of cultural exchange. It appears to be accepted in policy that neither

social capital Social capital is a concept used in sociology and economics to define networks of relationships which are productive towards advancing the goals of individuals and groups. It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interper ...

nor

cultural capital In the field of sociology, cultural capital comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect, style of speech, style of dress, social capital, etc.) that promote social mobility in a stratified society. Cultural capital functions as ...

, alone or together, are sufficient to overcome

social exclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. In the EU context, the Euro ...

. Third Space Theory suggests that policies of remediation based in models of the Other are likely to be inadequate.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Postcolonialism Sociolinguistics

Origins

Wider use

Explanatory and predictive use

See also

References