Writing Environments and Third Places
Type of Presentation
Paper
Location
D34005
Start Date
4-18-2024 2:15 PM
End Date
4-18-2024 2:30 PM
Abstract
Composition scholars frequently theories about best writing practices to help students succeed. While their research has helped make strides in the writing field, it often overlooks the physical environments in which we choose to write. Along with our changing world in a post-COVID society, we need to reevaluate our writing practices and our writing environments. In my research, I turn to sociologist Ray Oldenburg's research on the third place. The third places are common places where we can be ourselves publicly, such as coffee shops, grocery stores, or libraries. I explore how we think about the physical spaces around us, and how those spaces affect our writing. After COVID, we became more disconnected from each other, and as a consequence, our writing process has changed drastically. Instead of writing in multiple physical spaces such as libraries and coffee shops, we have resorted to doing most of our writing at home, in a place where we spend most of our time. As a result, our writing is being affected because we no longer have environments that expand our thinking or push our knowledge. We are now using writing as a way to replace what we would originally get from our third place, connection. I also explore our early experiences with writing and challenge the idea that writing is an isolating process. I also connect our understanding of third places with our understanding of writing environments and explore what we need to know about writing environments to fully understand the writing process.
Faculty / Staff Sponsor
Bradley Smith
Presentation File
wf_no
Writing Environments and Third Places
D34005
Composition scholars frequently theories about best writing practices to help students succeed. While their research has helped make strides in the writing field, it often overlooks the physical environments in which we choose to write. Along with our changing world in a post-COVID society, we need to reevaluate our writing practices and our writing environments. In my research, I turn to sociologist Ray Oldenburg's research on the third place. The third places are common places where we can be ourselves publicly, such as coffee shops, grocery stores, or libraries. I explore how we think about the physical spaces around us, and how those spaces affect our writing. After COVID, we became more disconnected from each other, and as a consequence, our writing process has changed drastically. Instead of writing in multiple physical spaces such as libraries and coffee shops, we have resorted to doing most of our writing at home, in a place where we spend most of our time. As a result, our writing is being affected because we no longer have environments that expand our thinking or push our knowledge. We are now using writing as a way to replace what we would originally get from our third place, connection. I also explore our early experiences with writing and challenge the idea that writing is an isolating process. I also connect our understanding of third places with our understanding of writing environments and explore what we need to know about writing environments to fully understand the writing process.
Other Presentation Disciplines:
Exploring Education