Designing Belonging:

Research, Reflection and Community-Centered Innovation

Research and Scholarship

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Research and Scholarship ◳

SANCTUARY IN THE STACKS

Between the years 2020 and 2025, this dissertation examines how third-place queer bookstores in Seattle serve as vital community spaces that foster trans embodiment and belonging amid ongoing bodily flux caused by dysphoria, hormone replacement therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, and more.

Situated within the broader contexts of capitalism and performativity, the study explores how these bookstores resist dominant economic and social pressures by creating environments where bodies are not only recognized but deeply connected to mutual aid and collective care. Through a phenomenological lens, the research examines how the architecture, atmosphere, inhabitants, and care practices within these bookstores contribute to or hinder the experiences of embodiment for trans individuals.

Success is evaluated by the degree to which care and mutual aid practices facilitate enmeshment and resilience within the queer community, highlighting the intrinsic link between physical spaces, embodied identities, and socio-economic structures. This work foregrounds the bookstores as sites of resistance and community building, where the performance of identity intersects with material support networks, ultimately offering a nuanced understanding of how trans bodies find belonging through collective care in a capitalist society.

  • Jori Bercier’s current dissertation study builds directly on their 2020 Master’s thesis, which examined their experience as owner of Alexander Books, an independent bookstore in Lafayette, Louisiana.

    That earlier work explored how a community-centered bookstore can act as a positive distraction and cultural hub, fostering a sense of place and belonging amid local socio-economic challenges. The current research expands this inquiry by focusing on queer bookstores in Seattle from 2020 to 2025, situating these spaces within the broader contexts of capitalism, performativity, and the intrinsic connection between bodies, mutual aid, and community care.

    Additionally, this study is closely linked to Jori’s development of PatchWork, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging gaps in traditional support systems through mutual aid and systems thinking. Together, these projects reflect Jori’s ongoing commitment to creating inclusive, care-driven environments where embodied identities and community networks intertwine to foster resilience, belonging, and collective empowerment.