Third Places and Vibrant Communities

Humans are social animals who band together in cohesive groups called tribes or communities. This provides safety, companionship, pleasure, learning, livelihood and profit to individuals.

Typically a community comprises about 500 to 1000 individuals, connected to each by factors, such as, religious faith, profession, extended family, sport, politics, etc.

Communities vitally need venues where people can meet in a neutral environment and in an informal manner for individuals to socialise. Such a venue we could call as **'third place.'**

The first place is where people reside, at their homes, the second place is where people go to work, and the third place is where people go to socialise.

Communities with vibrant third places develop into centres of shared learning, art, culture, sport and the people enjoy a much higher standard of quality of life.

What are the requirements for a third place?

There are generally eight factors that are typical of third places. 

Neutral ground

Occupants of third places have little to no obligation to be there. They are not tied down to the area financially, politically, legally, or otherwise and are free to come and go as they please.

Leveler

Third places places no particular importance on an individual's economical or social status in a society. There are no prerequisites or requirements that would prevent acceptance or participation in the third place.

Community Kitchen

                                 

Conversation is main activity

Playful and happy conversation is the main but not the only activity in third places. The tone of conversation is usually light hearted and humorous; 

Accessibility and accommodation

Third places are open and readily accessible to those who occupy them. They are also accommodating, to meet the  wants of their inhabitants.

The regulars

Third places harbour a number of regulars that help give the space its tone, and help set the mood and characteristics of the area. Regulars assist newcomers to feel welcome and accommodated.

A low profile

Third places are characteristically wholesome. The inside of a third place is without extravagance or grandiosity, and has a homely feel. 

Football at Hotfut, Pune. India

The mood is playful
The tone of conversation in third places are never marked with tension or hostility. Instead, they have a playful nature, where witty conversation and frivolous banter are not only common, but highly valued.

A home away from home
Occupants of third places will often have the same feelings of warmth, possession, and belonging as they would in their own homes. They feel a piece of themselves is rooted in the space, and gain spiritual regeneration by spending time there.

Urban centres with large populations are mushrooming everywhere. People struggle to find third places which are becoming increasingly rare, if not extinct.

Intellectually and spiritually hollow people.

The desire of governments to monetise any and every available square meter of public space, makes it difficult if not impossible to create vibrant communities

It is no coincidence that the ‘helping professions’ are major and rapidly growing components of our economy as leaders and planners unwittingly help destroy local public life and communities.

Urban sprawl

Even where there are some third places available, people rarely find the time to socialise. 

Shifts from large joint to small nuclear families, non stop 24 hour work timings, has also taken a big toll on family and communities. 

Couple this with stress created by authorities, the total disregard by governments, town planners, encroachment, unsafe environments etc. has extensively damaged if not destroyed communities.

What are third places available to Indians? 

Places of religious worship are the most popular third places in India. They often provide the only succour available to people, for safe socialising. But the downside is that, religous leaders demand blind obedience and sometimes abuse the trust that this obedience provides.

The market place, village and town fairs, celebrating festivals, offer some form of community space. They may be fun, but do not satisfy fully the third place needs of individuals.

Harmandir Sahib,  The Golden Temple. Amritsar. 

Muslims at prayer

There are still some other third places left these days. Some which come to mind are, canteens, tea stalls, chapels, dhabas, play grounds, street corners, beach communities, prayer groups, etc. for the simple people. Then for others there are tea /coffee shops, bars and restaurants, sports and recreational clubs, sports facilities, etc.

Aufside bar and restaurant, Pune.

Social well-being and psychological health of individuals depend upon communities which can only exist where there are vibrant third places.

Third places are not a choice but are a vital necessity and a precondition for healthy communities. For they create habits of public association, and offer psychological support to individuals and communities.

 Nations are relatively a recent phenomenon. Historically the real building block of humanity and a successful civilisation is the family and community. 

Civilisations and governments should be judged by how well they satisfy the safety, livelihood, etc. needs and the quality of life of individuals and communities.

Third Places build strong and resilient communities, and that is the bedrock of a strong, tolerant, peaceful, healthy, vibrant, civilised world. And that is the best legacy we can leave our children.

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Written and posted by Gurvinder Singh
Ampav Education & Consulting Pvt. Ltd. website 
Pune. India

Ampav Education and Consulting is a Pune based organisation committed to evolving better ways to live, work and play. To support programs of the community, for the community, by the community. Please write to us

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Dance Bars are back.

The Supreme court recently quashed the law passed by the state government of Maharashtra banning the operation of dance bars. Many hailed this verdict as a great economic boon as it will now bring in more than Rs 3000 Crores (US$ 550 Million) annual revenue to the state and provide jobs to 100,000 bar dancers, and another 90,000 allied jobs.

A question arises. Is this type of economic growth that is going to make us a better society? Would we like to see a daughter or sister in this profession?

Sure we want to reduce material poverty but does it have to be by impoverishing the character and spirit particularly of girls and young people? Bad things happen everywhere but civilized people and the government cannot be party to promoting such things.

True economic progress can only come from social progress, and true social progress can only come when women and families are treated with dignity. The building block of a society is the family. Wherever families are torn apart the fabric of society is greatly damaged and communities and even nations become dysfunctional.

Men may make houses, but women make homes. A house is just a cold lifeless structure and a home is a place filled with hope, joy, dignity and courage. The soul of our society is embedded in our womenfolk. 

Women should work and pursue careers only out of choice and not out of necessity. Necessity often leads to exploitation and misery of the weak.

What will be the fate of those children that come home to a no parent or single parent home? What sort of a mother or wife will a woman make who has been reduced to a thing and that too an undignified one?

It is said God has distributed his work to mothers. Generally wherever people have excelled there is inevitably the influence of a woman.
Traditional Indian teachings lay great emphasis on love and respect of women. It was taught that "The Gods dwell where the womenfolk are happy".


There is hope that wise and noble people in society will raise our consciousness and pave the way for justice for the weak and exploited  in our society as can be seen from the example of an Indonesian judge.


An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty   of stealing some tapioca from a plantation. In her defense she admitted to the judge that she was indeed guilty of the crime because she was poor. and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry.

The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others.

The judge going through the facts and the documents then looked up and said to the old lady, "I'm sorry but I cannot make any exception to the law and you must be punished" The old lady was fined Rp 1 million (US$ 100) and was informed that if she could not pay the fine then she would be jailed for two and a half years as demanded by the law.

The old lady broke down and wept as she could not pay the fine.

The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million and said "In the name of justice, I fine all who are present in this court Rp. 50,000 (US$ 5.50) each as dwellers of this city who have let a child starve until her grandmother has to steal to feed her grandchild. The registrar will now collect the fines from all present."

The court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (US$ 350) including the fine collected from the plantation manager. After paying the fine  the balance money was handed over to the old lady.