| In this ethnographic study, I explored two discussion groups and discovered Third Space elements such as cultural hybridity, counterscript, and sharing of experiences and resources contributed to a safe learning environment existing at the boundaries between participant personal and professional spaces. The groups operated under the auspices of a professional membership organization located in the Washington, D.C. area. One group discussed federal government topics; the second focused on organizational coaching topics, and there were 53 participants among both groups. I incorporated video recorded observations and open-ended interviews. I used open and focused coding techniques to categorize the data. I found that during the meetings participants frequently engaged in collective sense making while contributing experiences and opinions that may have resulted in problems for them had they expressed these experiences and opinions within their workplaces among co-workers or clients. As a result of observing interactions and interviewing participants, I have conceptualized a Third Space informal learning environment that is comprised of four interconnected spaces: a safe space, social space, experiential space, and resource space. With this Third Space system, it is the safe space that is at the core with implications for designing informal learning spaces for professionals. |
