Most of us have heard of the term “Safe Space.” It is common to see this term used to describe many social spaces, including clubs, organizations, workplaces, and classrooms.
Depending on the specifics of the definition and usage of safe spaces, as well as the social context of participants or detractors, safe spaces are viewed on a spectrum from “mandatory” to “detrimental.” Whether safe spaces are good to have in certain contexts, especially learning, is also highly contentious (for more, see the debate by Intelligence Squared US / Open to Debate: “Trigger Warning: Safe Spaces are Dangerous”).
Like other terms that have grown in common usage, such as “toxic masculinity,” “intersectionality,” “politically correct,” and “wokeness,” as these terms become more widespread, there is more opportunity for dilution of the original meaning, malappropriation, and total misunderstandings of the context in which the term is useful.
The Need for a “Brave Space”
To respond to both legitimate concerns about safe spaces (such as the difficulty of making all discussions free of potentially upsetting content for everyone) and to questionable connotations (that we’re coddling learners too much), the term “Brave Space” has been coined and is increasingly seeing use in places where our ideas and assumptions need to be challenged in order to grow, especially in learning environments.
“Brave Space” reframes core values shared with “Safe Space,” but also recognizes that in order to learn, we have to be challenged, and that discomfort is a natural result of being exposed to unfamiliar and difficult ideas. A Brave Space is not free of discomfort or conflict, but it does reinforce agency of participants (“Challenge by Choice”) as well as respectful disagreement. Because the topics covered in many valuable learning environments, such as ethics, social studies, political science, and biomedical issues are by nature controversial, a brave space model is necessary to engage and learn effectively.
Understanding Learner Needs
Is there still a place for “Safe Spaces”? Absolutely. In my general usage, a safe space should be a refuge, a place one can return to when needed to rest, recharge, and recuperate. As a lifelong introvert, I have always made use of safe spaces in order to function “out there.”
But it’s important to both know when you need some safe space time and to develop skills that allow you to muster up the strength and resilience to venture out into non-safe spaces. To go to a class, whether as a teacher or a student, one must accept that there may be uncomfortable discussions and exposure to ideas that challenge our assumptions and deeply held beliefs. Our brains, and even our hearts may be sore afterwards. But this is part of learning.
At the same time, Brave Spaces should never force some people to justify their presence in that space — that is unnecessary and unethical cognitive labor that no one should have to juggle. And where possible, there should be participant agency to have some say over how they’ll participate (but depending on the structure of the class, there may be mandatory participation in some things as well, which is an important growth opportunity). Boundaries can and should be expressed and respected, and trust should be cultivated so when someone does set a boundary, everyone can be free to respect it.
It is my hope that Brave Spaces can be another tool in the kit that we can use to communicate context and expectations in learning and social spaces. And, along with Safe Spaces, can help us to better frame our learners’ and activities’ needs to help us to thrive and learn together.
