THE EMERGING YOUTH THIRD PLACES CASE STUDY: UPNORMAL CAFé IN THE CITY OF BANDUNG

• Main Author: Nadizti, Fath
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81244
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The third place is a gathering space which aims to improve the quality of life of urban communities by accommodating social interaction to reduce pressure from the first place (home) and second place (office). The characteristics of the third place include a home away from home feel, relaxed (playful), and formed naturally by the regulars. The third place is a neutral space where users are free from various status differences (levelers), so that social interaction between users occurs voluntarily. In particular, the third place has physical characteristics in the form of an easily accessible location, facilities that accommodate conversation, and a simple form (low-profile). With these various characteristics, third places are able to have a positive impact on their users on an individual and community scale. For example, relieving stress from daily pressures, entering a new community, strengthening existing social networks, and also as social control. However, the development of third places has not yet involved youth groups as a whole. Third place development still considers urban society as one homogeneous entity, namely productive adults. In fact, urban society consists of many groups, where teenagers are a crucial group because they are a key phase of human development that determines the quality of adults in future society. Several studies are starting to develop a third place based on new age groups including children and the elderly. The existence of teenagers in public settings such as third places is still under the shadow of negative stigma, so third place research involving groups of teenagers is still limited to virtual spaces. This dissertation aims to examine how teenagers' third places are formed through tracing activities on the physical characteristics of space. With a qualitative approach, 10 independent Upnromal cafes in Bandung City were used as study cases. Upnormal is a national franchise cafe brand that is closely associated with youth groups. Non-participant observation techniques were used to explore data on the physical characteristics of the outlet, while semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data about the approach to providing space by cafe managers and motivations for using space by teenage visitors. All data was analyzed qualitatively using coding techniques, namely the abstraction of categories from pieces of empirical data to form concepts through two stages. The first stage is an analysis of the elements that form the physical characteristics of the outlet in relation to the provision of space, while the second stage is an analysis of the use of space in relation to these physical characteristics. From this investigation, this dissertation reveals that the existence of a third place in the adolescent context involves psychological, social and economic dimensions. In terms of the psychological dimension, the third place for teenagers is a space where they can interact with their peers freely and express their identity. In terms of the social dimension, the third place of teenagers is related to the suitability of spatial characteristics with the corridors of values and norms in the first place because teenagers' lives are still under the shadow of the family. Teenagers' third place is also an extension of second place because of the flood of responsibilities and expectations they need to face. In terms of the economic dimension, the formation of youth third places involves commercialization practices that encourage spatial imaging so that the shape of the space is not simple like third places in general.