Heterogeneous space, also known as "the third space", is an important interdisciplinary critical concept put forward and applied by American scholar Edward W. Sawyer. The "third space" is a kind of "difference space", a kind of "third" and "other" space, which is beyond reality and imagination. In other words, "the third space" is a flexible strategy to present space and a possibility to understand space beyond traditional dualism.

The perspective and epistemological model of "first space" mainly focus on the concrete image of space form and the materiality of things that can be described according to experience; The "second space" is a cognitive model of feeling and construction, which is conceived in the concept of space, originated from human spiritual activities, and reproduces human exploration and thinking of space in the form of cognition.

If the first space can be called the real place and the second space can be called the imaginary place, then the third space is a space different from the real and imaginary, a kind of "third" and "other". In other words, "the third space" is a flexible strategy to present space and a possibility to understand space beyond traditional dualism.

Extended data:

Ray Audenberg, the author of "To a Wonderful Place", showed some necessary attributes for the achievement of the third space: it must be convenient, attractive, provide some food or drink, have a unique environment and have several good frequent visitors. The third space is different from the first and second spaces (home and workplace). We only go in our spare time, and this "voluntary nature" makes them different.

As "the space of the other", "the third space" is the presentation and reinforcement of the spatial difference structure. In this respect, the concept of "space" in the context of post-colonial cultural theory contains a deeper critical consciousness, and its critical goal is the geographical imagination of Eurocentrism, cultural imperialism and Orientalism.

References:

People's Network-A Corner Forgotten by Time

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-heterogeneous space