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Kelsey Dillon

Professor Richard

First Year Writing

October 10, 2018

Reaching Beyond the Safe House

Although a home is typically used to describe where you live, I have developed my sense

of home into a feeling of comfort, safeness, and acceptance. Over time I have learned that the

physical home does not have to be where you feel this comfort, but it may overlap. People often

approach situations that they will feel total acceptance to avoid change or discomfort. Studies

show that “few people actually enjoy the feeling of being uncomfortable” (Patel). This essay will

examine the internal relationships within safe houses, specifically how a conflict that may seem

small on the outside world becomes amplified when it goes against values shared by members of

a safe house. Even though contact zones causes conflict between aspects of culturism, racism,

and outlooks it results in compromises. Reaching out of the safe house zone by entering the

contact zone can create a different type of diverse acceptance that can help form your identity.

Mary Louise Pratt described contact zones as a social setting that could be very

beneficial, where people of all backgrounds could come together and learn about each other's

differences. On the other hand, it could be quite emotional in which people could be hurt and

misunderstood. The ending is quite unpredictable due to the boundaries being pushed. For many

people the risk of entering the contact zone may be intimidating. Even if you are in the dominant

group it does take extra efforts to get in to the contact zone, especially if they are not use to that

type of setting. In order to contribute to controversial conversations it takes great strength and

confidence. “The challenge is to get past that initial feeling of wanting to return to the norm, so
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you can grow and benefit from that discomfort” (Patel). There is a point of growth in the contact

zone that reaches a sense of internal development.

Pratt explains the safe houses to be a place of belonging. Although they are necessary to

regain strength to go back into the contact zones, I see a societal issue with them. Pratt expresses

that the safe houses are “...temporary protection from legacies of oppression” (Pratt). She sees

the safe house to be a quick meet up with people you trust and identify with but, in reality I think

many people never leave their safe house. Most people in the beginning of their lives stay in their

safe houses for too long. This is why college is so hard for freshman, because it is the first time

truly leaving their comfort zones. But, if they do decide to leave their safe house, I believe that

there is a middle zone between the safe house and the contact zone.

The middle zone is for self reflection. Going between each social settings can be

extreames from each other, but is important to take the time to understand how you feel about

each situation that arises.“Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos,

untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible

interpretations, and create meaning” (Porter). Without reflection, growth and development won’t

be recognized.

Since I grew up in a small suburban town constantly surrounded by my friends and

family I was rarely challenged to step outside my comfort zone. Always having a support system

made it effortless to involve myself in many different activities. Between public school, the big

dance studio I attended, and clubs like Best Buddies, I felt like I was approaching different

groups of people all the time. I found it easy when interacting with new faces for a few hours,

because I knew that I would be comfortable later on with my friends and family. But, it very

clear that my safe house was overbearing, I rarely had experiences with true contact zones.
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When I left for college last year I felt prepared as I knew that my A + B = C analytical

thought process would insure my success. Sacred Heart University had a small school

environment that I was looking for. The community like scenery reminded me of my high school

in a sense that was recognizable. Aside from having my major, I was accepted into the Dance

Company where I could continue my passion. All of these factors on paper implicated that

Sacred Heart University was my “perfect fit”.

The unexpected factors were the reasons for my urge to transfer. The campus was made

up of students who were the same race, religion, social class, etc. Although I could identify

myself with them it was not the experience I expected. Sacred Heart was a big safe house, like

my hometown, where people could go to school and relate the people around them for

reassurance in their beliefs. Although this worked for most, I saw many issues with this. The

moments at Sacred Heart were learning moments because I realized that I needed to reach out of

the comfort of being in the safe house. Sacred Heart was my middle zone, the point in which self

reflection was when I noticed that I needed a more diverse environment.

There were conflicts that came up in the safe houses that but were different from conflicts

that take place in a contact zone. Picture a classroom setting with eighteen students who were all

white but two-thirds were males and one-third females. This was my Famous Moral Dilemmas

course. The first red flag would be the severe lack of diversity. Since the University is a catholic

school it was rare to hear from a different perspective. The problem I saw that occurred the most

in this class was hasty generalizations about other religions. For example, the students

surrounding me had made comments about their impressions of Muslim faith, in which foolishly

deteriorated the actual religion. It was hard for me because it wasn’t that they were not educated,

it was that there was no voice in the room. Because of the life long safe house affect, the students
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never experienced interacting with different types of religions to accept their culture. If there had

been different types of people in that room it would have improved cultural appreciation.

I was missing the contact zones in all of my courses. Looking at the big picture, on paper

I was considered to be in the dominant group at Sacred Heart. The issue was the lack in minority,

this is also known as a homogenous group. The dominant group had so much power that there

was little learning about cultural differences. “Cultural diversity is important because our

country, workplaces, and schools increasingly consist of various cultural, racial, and ethnic

groups. We can learn from one another, but first we must have a level of understanding about

each other in order to facilitate collaboration and cooperation” (Belfield). Pratt exemplifies this

though contact zones. In education it is critical to have a diverse classroom to learn how to

communicate with each other. “To be successful in this diverse environment, college students

have to find ways to communicate successfully across cultural and linguistic boundaries, and it is

in response to the ensuing challenges that they develop Pratt’s arts of the contact zone”

(Elmborg).

Comparatively speaking, as I look to my left and right in this first year writing class

compared to my last years classes I appreciate the acceptance provided. I can be accepted for my

opinions since each person has a different aspect. For sure we all have different views on

controversies but difference is better than consistency when it comes to engaging with people.

Stereotypes can be avoided when there is more diversity because we can learn to respect other

peoples races and religions. When the dominant group is overpopulated the concept of disparity

is lacked which can cause groups of people to relate to each other by excluding other cultures.

Whether it be in class, at work, an at activity/sport, where ever it may be, if there are even

amounts of different cultures and races it can help deteriorate issues of prodomination,
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stereotypes, and generalizations. I believe that there is societal culture is demonstrated on a large

scale. On the far right and left there are extremes of high denomination and low minorities which

can result in feelings of discomfort and rejection. But, as we move closer to the middle of the

scale, we can become well rounded by seeing differences with the people that surround us. As a

society we can try reach the middle by incorporating the use of contact zones but also trying to

limiting the use of safe houses.

Bibliography

Belfield, Lisa. “What Is Cultural Diversity?” Purdue Global, Purdue University Global, Inc., a

Public, Nonprofit Institution., 2010, www.purdueglobal.edu/news-resources/what-is-

cultural-diversity/.

Elmborg, James. “Libraries in the Contact Zone: On the Creation of Educational Space.” The
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University of Iowa's Institutional Repository, The American Library Association, 18 Apr.

2005, ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=slis_pubs.

Patel, Sujan. “Why Feeling Uncomfortable Is The Key To Success.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9

Mar. 2016,

www.forbes.com/sites/sujanpatel/2016/03/09/why-feeling-uncomfortable-is-the-key-to-

success/#3c13c3a19133.

Porter, Jennifer. “Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing

It).”

Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Publishing, 25 June 2017,

hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it

Pratt, Mary Louise. “Arts of the Contact Zone.” Profession 1991. New York: Modern Language

Association P, 1991: 497-513.

Acknowledgements

This paper could not have been done without the peer review of Mawada Jastaniah. She

helped me add things to my thoughts that I didn’t think of before. I also am acknowledging my

Mother, Lisann Dillon for helping me elaborate my ideas and helping me edit some of my work.