Researching Finnish Bar Parliaments as Loci for Democracy And Participation

During the early months of the year, I have spent a lot of time scouring bars. Not so much drinking, but listening to conversations. I am studying how adults learn and construct their understanding of society in informal everyday spaces—one of the most interesting examples being the different “bar parliaments” that gather in bars, cafés and gas stations across the country.

I use the term “bar parliaments” to refer to long-established social groups, the “regulars” where people gather regularly in bars, service stations, and cafés to discuss their daily lives, encounters, and current affairs. While bar parliaments have not traditionally been seen as part of political activity, they are spaces where social issues are discussed in a practical and experiential way.

The concept of “bar parliament” can be seen as an umbrella term referring to various informal, non-rigid discussion everyday groups free of obligations, which function both as social and societal spaces in everyday life, in so-called third places. Their practices may vary, but many share the following characteristics:

• Participants discuss topics directly related to their lives—everyday encounters but also issues affecting the community, such as local politics, labor markets, and access to services.
• Discussions are not based solely on factual information but on participants’ experiences and collective knowledge-making.
• The conversations take place without formal structures or restrictions, yet certain norms and customs become established over time.

The discussions in bar parliaments are also catalysts for action and activity; they can lead to concrete actions and community involvement beyond the regular table. For example, in one industrial town, a bar parliament became involved in organizing and promoting an event at a familiar café when discussions revealed concerns about its decline. This was seen as a metaphor for the town’s stagnation, and the group wanted to take action. In another case, a group set up a neighborhood support network to help an elderly acquaintance winterize their cottage.

Why are these informal spaces important?

Democracy lives in everyday life

Democracy is not just about elections and official institutions—it thrives in people’s everyday lives, where they meet, discuss, and form their views of the world. However, in recent years, democracy has faced numerous challenges: public trust in political systems has declined, societal debates have become polarized, and many feel excluded from decision-making.

Sociologist Eric Klinenberg highlights the importance of so-called “middle rings” for democracy—acquaintances who are neither close friends nor complete strangers, such as neighbors or members of the local community. These relationships foster engagement and tolerance for differing opinions. According to Klinenberg, the erosion of middle rings has contributed to polarization and weakened societies’ ability to compromise. He argues that societies without informal encounters between people from different backgrounds become fragmented into bubbles where individuals interact only with like-minded peers. This reduces shared understanding and weakens the ability to engage with diverse perspectives.

Klinenberg emphasizes that public spaces are essential for democracy—libraries, parks, cafés, and other places where people can meet informally. Without these spaces, people withdraw into their homes, increasing loneliness and eroding social solidarity and participation. Technological developments have further intensified this trend, as more people spend time alone with digital entertainment or limit their social interactions to carefully curated networks, reducing opportunities to encounter different people in their everyday surroundings.

Developmental psychologist Nicholas Epley, in turn, has emphasized that face-to-face interaction is more effective and meaningful than digital communication. Tone of voice, body language, and gestures convey meanings and emotions that text or digital messaging cannot fully replace. This is crucial for democracy in complex and interconnected societies, as it enables the expression of nuanced emotions and opinions in a way that reduces misunderstandings and supports constructive dialogue.

Everyday face-to-face encounters continuously generate interactions tied to specific places and routines, allowing people to express their thoughts more freely than in workplaces or on social media, where discussions may be constrained by organizational culture, norms, or fear of public stigma. These interactions provide space for experimenting with ideas, informal reflection, and natural argumentation practice—key aspects of democratic citizenship.

Bar parliaments as part of a democratic culture stemming from chance encounters and local relationships around them

Democracy is not just about voting or formal decision-making—it resembles more an ongoing conversation and is a negotiation of our shared reality. Bar parliaments are part of this continuum: they provide a space where opinions can be tested, played with, challenged, and refined. They represent everyday, informal civic discussion, which has been a part of democratic cultures throughout history—from agoras and taverns to today’s cafés and bars.

Informal spaces like bar parliaments are valuable precisely because they do not impose pressure on participants and have no pre-set objectives. Their strength lies in the fact that they emerge and persist on their own terms—out of people’s need to talk and share thoughts without requiring an immediate outcome. All that is needed is a regular place and people for whom stopping by fits naturally into their daily routine.

When meeting places and spontaneous interactions disappear, the everyday practice of democracy disappears with them. Bar parliaments offer unique spaces where people can meet with low barriers, speak freely, question, and form perspectives together with others. They are places where democracy lives and breathes—not through formal institutions but through shared everyday experiences.

The author is a doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland and an elementary school teacher. His dissertation is using cultural-historical theory to analyze democratic participation and informal learning in bar parliaments. More about his research in Finnish: https://www.uef.fi/fi/artikkeli/suomi-on-baariparlamenttien-luvattu-maa-epamuodollisissa-porukoissa-pohditaan-ajankohtaisia