This is a response to Safe Spaces Or Regressive Spaces?
"Safe space," is a buzzword that's all too popular in our society these days. In the media, it conjures up images of college students with brightly dyed hair, getting "triggered," and angrily pointing fingers at those responsible. The terms "safe space," and "cancel culture," never seem to be far from each other.
This is where we've ended up when it comes to safe spaces, but where did we begin? What was a safe space supposed to be, originally? And what kinds of spaces can really be expected to be "safe"?
Merriam-Webster defines a safe space as, "a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations." Yet, as a writer here on Odyssey argued, doesn't this take away from a college's role as a center of intellectual stimulation?
Surely, when it comes to learning and debating academic and philosophical topics, there's bound to be some conflict, criticism, or "threatening," ideas. Discomfort, the writer posited, is an essential part of growth.
I'll be the first to admit I tend to dismiss criticism of safe spaces that mentions "fragile emotions," "snowflakes," or takes aim at Women's Studies departments, as this writer's article did. Emotions are a normal part of the human experience- I don't believe they can't be fully divorced from our intellectual functioning, no matter how much certain corners of academia seem to wish they could. In fact, I believe that learning to better understand the emotions of others- especially those we might not get along with- is critical to fostering a cooperative society. And picking on women or other marginalized groups for wanting a space where they can feel free to express themselves without threat- after literal centuries of being shamed simply for existing- leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
But that isn't to say that I disagreed with every point the writer made. On the contrary, I found a lot of their arguments made sense. Which leaves me facing a conundrum.
Students do deserve to feel safe on their campuses. Not having to watch your back or feel threatened allows people to speak their minds without inhibitions. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging the role emotions play in our mental wellbeing and ability to participate in an academic setting. It might seem like a paradox to some, but safe spaces can actually foster free speech and intellectual debate, if utilized correctly.
Yet, how far should a safe space extend? When it comes to things like prohibiting Halloween costumes, as mentioned in the original article, where do we draw the line? Defining and prohibiting things like hate speech and racist propaganda are a relatively easy task compared to determining if a student should be punished for wearing an "offensive," Halloween costume. Who gets to define offensive?
I don't have the answers to these questions, but I think they're worth exploring. And I think Odyssey, as a platform that amplifies student voices, is a great place to do that.
