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"Poverty of Experience and Relationships:" Exploring Sense of Belonging During COVID-19 Through a Third Space Framework

Wagner, Deanna N.
http://orcid.org/0009-0004-1949-5290
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1681557571798352

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, Educational Leadership.
The college student experience was severely altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring semester of 2020. At that time, college administrators had no idea what was in store for their students in the coming weeks, months, and ultimately years. Because the pandemic is still a new phenomenon, little research exists on the effect of COVID-19 on sense of belonging for college students. This study aimed contribute to that literature base and focused on better understanding the lived experience of students at a small, private institution in the Midwest during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically looking at sense of belonging and use of campus space through a third space framework. Third spaces are widely studied in the fields of education, cultural studies, and architecture to examine how cultural, human, and physical factors come together (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982). Third spaces, unique from an individual’s home (first space) or work/school (second space), encompass all the other spaces a person occupies (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1984; Bhabha, 1990). These spaces on college campuses are places like student unions, coffee shops, lobbies, and outdoor common spaces. Examining sense of belonging and use of campus space through the lens of third spaces allowed participants to reflect on their experience and offer valuable insights into how they navigated the pandemic, both on and off campus. Five themes emerged from this study. Those themes are: 1) People make the space; 2) Mental Health and Imposter Syndrome affect how people show up to different spaces and present themselves; 3) University-imposed restrictions affected students’ ability to make friends and build community; 4) Favorite spaces on campus were overwhelmingly identified as third spaces; and 5) Participants felt a sense of ownership over their sense of belonging.
Matthew Witenstein (Committee Chair)
Karen Lovett (Committee Member)
Jennifer Dalton (Committee Member)
Charles Russo (Committee Member)
144 p.
Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration
Sense of Belonging; Third Space; COVID-19; Campus Space; Higher Education; Campus Life

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wagner, D. N. (2023). "Poverty of Experience and Relationships:" Exploring Sense of Belonging During COVID-19 Through a Third Space Framework [Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1681557571798352

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wagner, Deanna. "Poverty of Experience and Relationships:" Exploring Sense of Belonging During COVID-19 Through a Third Space Framework. 2023. University of Dayton, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1681557571798352.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wagner, Deanna. ""Poverty of Experience and Relationships:" Exploring Sense of Belonging During COVID-19 Through a Third Space Framework." Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1681557571798352

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

dayton1681557571798352
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© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Dayton and OhioLINK.