The notion of safe spaces in colleges and universities always seemed bizarre. This author goes beyond the bizarre and suggests that the entire concept has damaging effects on our society. Well written.
I haven’t lost confidence in the ideal of free inquiry. But it pays to pay attention to what people say. In an emotional encounter with Christakis’s husband, a Yale faculty member who argued that a university should provide a context for discussion and civil, reasoned debate, one student shouted, “It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! It’s about creating a home here. You are not doing that!”
The desire for a “home” chimes with calls for “safe spaces,” another image of security and refuge, as well as with the notion of “cultural appropriation.” The latter reflects the fear that the historical and communal roots of one’s identity will be cut away. This fear is not limited to black or Hispanic artists who see their solidarity undermined by mainstream uses of their history. White nationalists protest against “cultural appropriation,” as well. Read more here.