A Matter of Interpretation: Examining the coded meanings of "safe space" in higher education communities

Abstract

The term "safe space" has a long history of signifying a place of sanctuary or refuge, and of a potential site of activism, advocacy, and political action (Davis, 1999; Kenney, 2001; Harris, 2015; Crockett, 2016). In recent decades, it has been adopted by student groups and advocates for inclusion, diversity and social justice on college and university campuses, who also saw such places as providing safety, freedom, activism, and intellectual discussion (Crockett, 2016; White, 2016). But critics argued that such spaces have the potential to stifle academic freedom, intellectual growth and free speech, and act as cocoons for students (Crovitz, 2016; Will, 2016). Both advocates and critics use the term "safe space," but with different meanings. Using speech code theory, I analyze opinion-editorial essays and commentaries from five national news periodicals to examine how proponents and critics of safe spaces use the term and to explore the clash of meanings and contexts.