Posts Tagged ‘oral history project’

Third Places in South Central Minnesota

February 25th, 2009

If you haven’t figured out what third places are all about, I’d highly recommend you check out an oral history project called “The Third Place Project.” 

Part of a larger project intended to record the oral history of the South Central Minnesota region, the “Third Place Project” focuses on third places in Mankato, MN.   

Although Mankato is not rural, I think the audio recordings do an outstanding job of showing the importance of third places in building a sense of community, regardless of a community’s size.  The recordings also offer great insights into how small business owners can compete against larger business in urban areas.  For instance:

In a slideshow about Dan’s Barbershop, you’ll hear long-time barber Dan Quaderer talk about the art of building relationships.  To quote Dan “”Haircutting isn’t about haircutting.  It’s about building relationships.”  

Through numerous audio recordings with customers of Mocol’s Supermarket, you can learn how the owners of a grocery store facilitated political discussions and encourage civic involvement.

Listening to the interviews on at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, one gets the feeling that people from all walks of life make the place special, including college students and retirees. 

Developed by Dave Engen, an instructor in the Department of Speech Communication at Minnesota State University, the “The Third Place Project” is a must for anyone interested in third places. 

Other resources include:

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