The terms Safe Space and Brave Space have become entrenched in pedagogy at universities and educational institutions over recent decades, but the concepts they describe are also relevant to creating a psychologically safe working environment. The terms are often used interchangeably, but despite the similarity of their definitions, they describe two distinct ideas that should not be confused. So, what are Safe and Brave Spaces?
The term Safe Space was popularised in the book The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections from Social Justice Educators (Landreman, editor.) The term was used to describe a space that was safe and welcoming for all minority groups, where the rights of students of marginalised identity were guaranteed to be protected. While the development of Safe Spaces was an important first step in creating positive educational and workplace environments for all people, criticisms over its limitations have developed over the years.
The term safe denotes being protected from or not exposed to danger. However, it is impossible for any workplace or educational environment to guarantee that minority groups will not be exposed to views that may be harmful to their identity. Workplaces often contain a variety of identities and opinions, and sometimes, challenging conversations that expose people to discomfort can take place. Some argue that shutting down such conversations halts progress and doesn’t allow for the sharing of differing opinions or learning to occur.
The term Brave Spaces was created to challenge some of these limitations. Instead of denoting a lack of danger, it expresses intent, and acknowledges that at times workplace environments can be challenging, but that people are willing to participate in these challenging conversations to the best of their ability. As the burden of challenging harmful stereotypes is often placed on the marginalised, which can become exhausting, it is crucial that participation within these conversations is at the discretion of those involved, and that the decision to opt out is not criticised. But the term Brave Space establishes that all who choose to participate within the environment will be supported and challenged to engage.
Carfi is currently developing training programs to assist organisations in ensuring best practice with the development of Brave Spaces. For more information, contact out team via info@carfi.net.au.
