School Journey as a Third Place

“The book’s multidisciplinary approach in studying children’s school journeys around the world produces rich and exciting new knowledge on children’s autonomous mobility whilst also attesting to the multidimensionality of their lives within this everyday transitional space of theirs” —Leena Alanen, Professor Emerita (Early Childhood Education), Department of Education, Associate Professor/Docent (Sociology), Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

“This book provides a theoretically and empirically nuanced exploration of the school journey that the contributors highlight with carefully crafted analyses through children’s own voices and experiences. Exploring the school journey as a transitional or third space, the book greatly enriches our understanding of a key but often neglected aspect of children’s daily lives and well-being” —Spyros Spyrou, Professor of Anthropology, European University Cyprus.

 “School Journey as a Third Place; Theories, Methods, and Experiences around the World” is a book focusing on the topic of the journey of children between home and school. The book underlines that the way between school and home can be perceived as the “third place”, as a transition space, potentially having an impact on the children’s experience, well-being, feelings, and development. The book also presents the impact of spatial design, safety, disability, and parents’ fears on the choice of the mode of travel and the experiences of children. The authors focus on the social, cultural, psychological, and educational aspects of being in the third place. They argue that the way between home and school can be a space, where children find their independency and create relationships with the environment. Sometimes it can be a positive experience, enriching the growth of the child, however, it can also be a space of fear and danger.—Katarzyna Soszyńska, Language, Discourse & Society, vol. 11, no. 1(21), 2023.