Taking Up Space

An incident that happened in one of my classes last quarter got me thinking a lot about gender and taking up space. As part of the final grade for this class, each student had to write a final paper and prepare a 7-8 minute presentation on this paper to share in class. On the second day of presentations, a white male freshman presented his paper for over 20 minutes (and 19 Powerpoint slides). The professor, who is also a white man, did little to stop this student from going over the time allotted, and after his presentation was finished, no public comments were made about the length. Over the course of the week, at least two other white men in the class also crafted presentations that were 3 times the allotted length. As a result, three students were unable to present at all.

What struck me (besides the professor’s silence, which I believe would have existed regardless of the students’ gender or race) was the unapologetic sense of entitlement these white male students expressed, despite knowing that their failure to stick to the time allotted for them would prevent others from presenting for their share of time. I also observed the lengths at which all the women and the men of color took to ensure that their presentations did not go over 8 minutes. These responses are indicative of a larger problem that manifests itself in many other ways: taking up space. White males are taught from a very young age to take up space. They learn that what they have to say is valuable and worth sharing. They learn that they should be big and strong (increasing the physical space they take up). Common phrases such as, “boys will be boys” excuse rude, wild, and/or sexist behavior, enabling boys and men to take up space in many ways that often involve denying others space and control. On the other hand, women are taught to give up, rather than take up space. From a young age, girls are bombarded with unrealistic expectations of thinness and beauty. They are also taught to be polite and reserved, which often causes their space to be trampled on by louder, more exuberant, less polite boys.

Often I’ve observed that the feminist response to the issue of taking up space is to create avenues for women to take up space, make their voices heard. I think this is an effective way to progress. I also think though, that efforts must be made to encourage white men (alongside women and men of color) to respect other voices and keep from trampling on another’s space, while recognizing the structural and cultural factors that permit white men to take up space both verbally and physically.