How to take up more space in academia

Plus some light discussion of fashion. Why not?

Hello and welcome to Academia Made Easier. I am so glad that you are here.  

At a meeting I attended in June,  everyone was asked to select one word to define their aspirations for the summer months ahead. The word I immediately chose was “space”. 

I have been thinking about space, specifically the idea of taking up space, for over a year. It all started when I read a February 2023 blog post by Alison Gary about how fashion was moving towards larger silhouettes. Gary wrote: “it's about taking up the space you deserve… it's all unapologetically existing.” 

Taking up the space you deserve. Unapologetically existing. These words fish hooked into my brain, raising questions well beyond whether I should buy cargo pants (yes) or a brightly coloured oversized blazer (no). What would it mean to ‘take up the space I deserve’? (What space do I deserve?!?) What would it mean to ‘exist unapologetically’?

🤯

My discomfort with these questions undoubtedly reflects decades of gendered socialization. I grew up in a culture that told me to try to make my body as small as possible, with a short blip in the late 1990s when JLo’s success introduced an allegedly ‘more attainable’ body type (hahahafuckoff). I grew up in a culture that, while hailing the expanded opportunities for women, still told me to be careful not to be too loud, too ‘bossy’, too opinionated … too much. 

While considering the idea of ‘taking up’ space, I discovered a strong desire for more space overall. Physical space (uncrowded and uncluttered rooms). Mental space (the ability to think without feeling like I am simply acting and reacting). White space (unscheduled time in my calendar). Green space (time outside). In each of these areas, I feel a desire to put my elbows out, to take up and take in more of the space, unapologetically existing.

In embracing the word ‘space’ over the past month, I have reflected on how I want to take up space in the world and exist without apologies. I have determined that I want to move towards unapologetically meeting my needs for well-being and joy, even if these cause occasional inconvenience, and increasing my voice around areas that matter to me. 

If any of this resonates with you, today’s small thing to try immediately is a place to start.

One Small Thing to Try Immediately: Conduct a space experiment

In writing about taking up more space, specifically in the context of academia, I am highly aware that for some people, taking up space comes naturally and without consequence. They feel entitled to (physical, mental, white) space and simply claim it. Their ability to do so may reflect their personality type, an abundance of societal privileges, or other factors. But for others, such as early career colleagues, women in male-dominated disciplines, and individuals from racialized or marginalized backgrounds, taking up space is neither natural nor inconsequential. When one feels their very presence in an environment is questioned or seen as unusual or unvalued, the idea of taking up or claiming space may feel (and possibly be) risky. 

 For this reason, I suggest taking an experimental approach.

1. Select one area for space experimentation. There are many areas in which you can choose to take up more space. Some examples: your calendar, your department/academic unit, your academic discipline, your community. Select just one for now.

2. Define what taking up space means to you in this area. My answers in some selected areas are below, but please refine/alter these to match your definitions.

• Space in your calendar: Weekly time for research, writing, a weekly mop-up review session, and whatever else you want more time for. Vacation time. White space, so your calendar is not overly scheduled.

• Space in your department/academic unit: Identify how you want to show up (literally and figuratively). Select the area(s) in which you wish to exercise more voice and have a greater impact. 

• Space in your academic discipline: Select the area(s) in which you wish to exercise more voice and have a greater impact. Brainstorm and identify your opportunities to do so.

3. Claim your space. Again, ideas for you to consider in selected areas to prompt your thinking are below.

• Space in your calendar: Block out weekly time until the end of the academic year for research, writing, a weekly mop-up review session, and/or whatever else you want more time for. Block out your anticipated vacation time over the next year.

• Space in your department/academic unit: Plan your in-office dates/times in your calendar. Plan to speak up – or even initiate and lead – collegial discussion regarding the area(s) in which you wish to exercise more voice and have a greater impact. 

• Space in your academic discipline: Plan and schedule time for your disciplinary engagement (conferences, journal article reviews, and so forth).

4. Anticipate challenges. For those of us who don’t naturally take up space easily, claiming space may be accompanied by internal and/or external challenges. “Who are you,” your inner voice might say, “to think you are entitled to take Monday mornings for research time?” “I know you have Monday mornings blocked for research,” the meeting scheduler might say, “but that is the only time Dr. Blowhard can meet.” (Note that Dr. Blowhard has no trouble at all claiming space…) Knowing these challenges will come removes their impact and allows you to push back. “My job responsibilities involve research and I am committed to getting it done,” you might tell your inner voice. “Please ask Dr. Blowhard to reexamine their schedule for other options,” you might ask the meeting scheduler. Pushing back doesn’t mean that you will successfully quiet your inner voice or receive compromise from others, but it does allow you to experiment with what is possible.

5. Assess your space experiment results. As you experiment with taking more space, allow yourself to observe and adapt. Some of what you try may work. (Awesome – build on that!). Some of what you try may fail. (Okay – learn from that!). Keep experimenting to find your path.

I have decided to think of taking up space unapologetically as a skill that I will develop over the year ahead. I have started with my calendar and I am designing strategies to go beyond this. I would love to hear your thoughts about taking up space. Please comment to let me know how you approach taking up the space in academia that you deserve. 

Until next time…

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I recently collaborated with Dr. Christie Schultz for a three-part series on emotional labour in academia. (See: ​​“Acknowledging the emotional labour of academic work”, “The skills of care: navigating emotional labour in academia”, and, “Leading with care: emotional labour and academic leadership”.) Christie and I had the opportunity to speak about emotional labour on the Emotional Labor Podcast. If this is a topic of interest to you, please check it out. 

Stay well, my colleagues. 

P.S. Circling back to larger clothing styles, I recommend reading the New York Times article, “Why are pants so big (again)?” I particularly enjoyed this quoted tweet from comedian Noah Garfinkel: “Whatever style pants look like shit to you are the pants you’re supposed to wear and as soon as they start to look normal to you, those are not the right pants anymore. You should always be wearing pants you think look stupid.” I am grateful I enjoy wearing skirts!

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