safe spaces in universities

[vixnix]

I would rather create discussion-free zones where people could take a break from right-wing racist dialogue, and dialogue in general, and gather their thoughts, than silence people I didn't agree with.

I was surprised to find that I seem to agree with jordan peterson on that one.

I agree with ninsp that universities are places of protest and ideas, so I dislike the idea of shutting anything down. Opening new things up that might create calmer, more organised discussion, would be my preference

but u know, i am like one person guise. If most people felt differently and wanted to silence the fuzzies on the campus I wouldn't go out of my way to stop that from happening

though to be honest I would probably go and listen to what they have to say, if they moved to some other venue. I'm a little sick like that. a busybody. i like to know everyones business and their ideas. it's an obsession.

I have given some cursory thought to flying to Auckland next year to hear Jordan Peterson speak.

yes

I have

I said it

[buzzard]

Originally Posted by vixnix

If most people felt differently and wanted to silence the fuzzies on the campus I wouldn't go out of my way to stop that from happening

Is there another guy named fuzzy that might be found on a university campus in this reality?

[vixnix]

you think I should have said fuzzy types or something?

i liked the sound of fuzzies better

[ninsp]

The one at UNT are the “PUPPIES!” kinda space which is dumb but like I said college is overwhelming so who cares

[Mals Marola]

can't you just look @ puppies in a normal space?

[Mals Marola]

i assumed these were just sanctuaries for certain groups who might be more likely harassed even on a college campus to get away or whatever but if it's what vixnix just described...

[vixnix]

i can and do look at puppies in a normal space

looking renegade sighting: confirmed

[ninsp]

Originally Posted by Mals Marola

i assumed these were just sanctuaries for certain groups who might be more likely harassed even on a college campus to get away or whatever but if it's what vixnix just described...

The school in my town (and my alma mater) leans super internet liberal so that’s why it’s the PUPPIES thing but I mean it’s whatever honestly

College is overwhelming

[vixnix]

i mean, if you have no need for that space, then it's just a space you know? don't go in.

if you do need it, it would be pretty cool to know that it's there. I think I probably would have used it, on occasion.

[Mals Marola]

Ok

[Mals Marola]

but i mean, if the end results aren't even therapeutic wouldn't that kinda negate the whole purpose for these? don't know why anyone would be truly bothered by this in any case unless it was actually actively producing "negative results"

[Mals Marola]

unless i misunderstood the intention of your assumption clarification post

[vixnix]

I had a safe space near campus - the early intervention mental health service were located nearby, and their waiting room was a large kitchen where you could help yourself to tea and coffee, and there was a courtyard out the back where they didn't mind people smoking. So when I felt really overwhelmed, I would sometimes go there.

I think having a safe space on campus might have made me feel a little more welcome and accepted. Given that I wasn't a huge douchebag or anything, just a garden variety discharged psych patient, i don't see how that would be a bad thing

sometimes people just need a quiet space where they know nobody is going to hassle them or insult them or anything

[Shallowed]

Originally Posted by FoolofaTook

really? the whole point of the water is to cool the smoke and make it easier on your lungs.

interesting.

It's because it's so much smoke all at once. I much prefer to take smaller hits over a longer period of time than choke to death on a shitload of smoke in one go.

[Disco King]

Yeah, I tend to have a higher tolerance to cannabis than my buddies, except for when hitting the bong. It's just different when it's that much smoke at once, versus spaced out over time. Not a big fan of bongs, actually. I prefer pretty much every other weed-delivery method.

[Disco King]

As for safe spaces, yeah, I think it makes sense to have certain spaces where marginalized groups or people with mental health issues can go with the expectation of not experiencing certain discomforts.

But the entire campus shouldn't be made to be one. Sometimes, subject matter and views that make people uncomfortable will have to be expressed. I have no problem with content warnings accompanying these. We've had content warnings on TV for TV-14 television programmes and R-rated movies for decades now, and nobody has ever complained about those. I have no idea why this concept should outrage anybody.

As for controversial individuals and groups renting out campus spaces to give speeches, I tend to disagree with no-platforming them as a tactic, but not because I think it violates freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is a protection against the government from preventing people or punishing people for expressions. Nobody has a right to somebody else's platform or stage, but they are still free to use their own platform. My rights aren't being violated just because I'm not entitled to a lecture hall, and if the reason I didn't get one is because a school thinks it's a better business strategy to pacify protestors who don't like me than to accept my money, I guess that's just too bad for me.

The reason I tend to disagree with no-platforming as a tactic is that it has tended to just give more media attention to the group or individual being no-platformed. People like Yiannopolous essentially made a career out of having talks canceled. It's what kept him in the media. The reason he ended up disappearing from relevance seems to have more to do with people no longer giving a fuck about his stupid ass than it did with all the protestors who came out against him.

[brutechinasky]

My safe space is between the arms of the idw

[yo soy el mejor]

my safe space is in the student center, 1st floor bathroom, first stall to the left. i think it's part of a bomb shelter or some junk.

[redbreegull]

I am still kind of confused as to what exactly the definition of safe space is which is being used here. It's a space the school designates? And what is the space safe from? Are we just talking about an area for students to generally decompress and escape stress factors? What does that entail? Just a space where peace and quiet are enforced? Or is it a space to insulate people from hateful opinions, like as in it would be wrong to shut those people up in general but if you go to this specific place they can't follow you? I'm not really sure I understand what is being discussed.

[redbreegull]

Originally Posted by Disco King

As for safe spaces, yeah, I think it makes sense to have certain spaces where marginalized groups or people with mental health issues can go with the expectation of not experiencing certain discomforts.

like ok yes, but how exactly do you do that? I don't understand how it makes sense to be like well racism is something we can't deal with campus-wide, but we can cordon off this specific area as a racism-free space?

[yo soy el mejor]

oh, by safe spaces you mean the room for privileged people to not have to face anything challenging to their beliefs?

As for safe spaces, yeah, I think it makes sense to have certain spaces where marginalized groups or people with mental health issues can go with the expectation of not experiencing certain discomforts.

This is why mental health clinics should exist on campus.

Marginalized people should be able to form groups on campus and have access to space, sure. But what the hell makes that different from a safe space? Safe space is just millennial language for ''safe from-opinions-I-deem-bad-space. Besides, before you go around creating space for "marginalized people" to congregate, perhaps more "marginalized people" should exists on campuses in the first place.

Most "marginalized people" know how to deal with ignorance cause they hear it all the time. Rich people just waltz onto campus and get to use their privilege to get rid of what makes them uncomfortable.

[FoolofaTook]

you'll always have a space safe... in my arms.

[vixnix]

A lot of marginalised people begin study and drop out, because campus can seem like a fairly ruthless environment a lot of the time.

If you can’t imagine what a safe space would be like, it could be that your ability to imagine it is limited, because you never needed one.

[redbreegull]

Originally Posted by vixnix

A lot of marginalised people begin study and drop out, because campus can seem like a fairly ruthless environment a lot of the time.

If you can’t imagine what a safe space would be like, it could be that your ability to imagine it is limited, because you never needed one.

I don't know how one can have an opinion on something which is not being clearly explained. What kind of safe space are you talking about? See my above posts. I'm not questioning the validity of safe spaces literally at all, I am literally asking what kind of safe space you are talking about, how it would be set up, enforced, etc.

[redbreegull]

not to be snappy, I see now you may have been talking to **** whose posts are not visible to me.

but I am genuinely curious. this thread is like 10 different people debating the question and they all brought a different conception/assumption of what a safe space is

[buzzard]

There needs to be a space in which we can ask fuzzy whether he thinks Ivanka, too, ought to be locked up for the emails thing.

[Elphenor]

Originally Posted by redbreegull

I am still kind of confused as to what exactly the definition of safe space is which is being used here. It's a space the school designates? And what is the space safe from? Are we just talking about an area for students to generally decompress and escape stress factors? What does that entail? Just a space where peace and quiet are enforced? Or is it a space to insulate people from hateful opinions, like as in it would be wrong to shut those people up in general but if you go to this specific place they can't follow you? I'm not really sure I understand what is being discussed.

it just seems like a right wing buzzword mostly for people who aren't actually going to step foot on a college campus

[Elphenor]

what's the alternative to a safe space

open tolerance of intolerance?

nonsensical

[ilikeplanets]

The Young Republicans of [insert university]

[Disco King]

Originally Posted by redbreegull

like ok yes, but how exactly do you do that? I don't understand how it makes sense to be like well racism is something we can't deal with campus-wide, but we can cordon off this specific area as a racism-free space?

Well like, my campus has a center for LGBT students and allies, and I would imagine that it's a space where one wouldn't be able to start academic debates about whether gay marriage should be permissible, or what criteria must be satisfied in order for one to count as a particular gender. I'd imagine that if I'm an LGBT student and I go there, I won't have to be on the defensive about my identity.

But these aren't the kinds of topics that you'd ban campus-wide. There will be instances in which these sorts of questions will be discussed, like in sociology, anthropology, law, and philosophy courses. It wouldn't make sense to ban discussions on the metaphysics of sex and gender because some people may be uncomfortable with them.

Obviously, harassment, hate speech, and inflammatory speech would still be banned campus-wide.