Feminist perspectives on third places

Abstract

In this chapter we question the assumption that third places are neutral or inherently ‘good’ spaces in contemporary urban life. Drawing upon different feminist perspectives we explore how third places are conceptualised and practiced in gendered ways that were rarely considered in the early work of Oldenburg (1999). We draw together literature across the fields of leisure studies, geography and urban planning, and gender studies to consider how women embody third places in different ways and the influence of representations that mediate the gendered experience of the city. As leisure researchers our interests focus on the relationship between leisure practices and the gendered context of third places that can facilitate or constrain women’s ‘right to the city’ (Valentine 1989). At the heart of this approach is a question about how we understand the gendered power relations that shape third places with respect to their historical, sociocultural, political and economic context (Massey 2005). Different feminist theories conceptualise gender inequality and patriarchal power in different ways that offer multiple perspectives on the formation of third places and possibilities for change. We draw upon this diversity to consider the gendered assumptions informing third places, the sociality of third places for women, gendered embodiment and cultural representations as well as the gendered effects of digital technology and more-than-human third places.