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Culture

The In Between

What is the in between?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

term in-between[1]
field culture / cultural studies[3]
meaning space between cultures or binaries[1]
related concept third space[5]
related concept liminality[2]

The in-between is a cultural concept describing a space between cultures, binaries, or fixed categories.

Context

In the culture context, the in-between is a position or space between cultures, binaries, or fixed categories. In Homi Bhabha’s framing it is a 'contaminated yet connective tissue between cultures,' and in other cultural studies uses it is a transitional or interstitial space of identity and meaning [1].

Documented claims

  • The term is used to describe hybrid writing that mixes elements from two languages. [5]
  • The term is used for identity that is not fully contained by either side of a binary. [4]
  • In postcolonial usage, it can describe being between two cultures, identities, or worlds. [6]

Questions and answers

What is the in-between in cultural studies?

The in-between is a space between cultures, binaries, or fixed categories, often described as a transitional or interstitial space of identity and meaning [1].

How is the in-between related to liminality?

In anthropological writing, a similar 'in-between' state is called liminality, the transitional stage in rites of passage [2].

Sources

  1. Culture's In Between — artforum.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. In-betweenness as a concept to explore for media and ... — saemijung.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. At the selvedges of discourse: negotiating the “in-between” — research.unl.pt (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. in between — dictionary.cambridge.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. IN-BETWEEN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster — merriam-webster.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  6. Inbetweenness and Ambivalence — academic.oup.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Culture