The Power of Place in a College Environment

The Power of Place in a College Environment.

Figure 1. James Cook University (2016)

Power is an entity that is often perceived by people as a thing to possess, to hold, to grasp on to, seen as something that gives the owner control and influence. However, it is places and spaces that can retain a certain level of power (Allen, J. 2008), that can empower and inspire a person to behave in a particular way. Such powerful spaces can exist both in reality and in virtual online spaces (Kuttainen, V. 2016). In this instance, it is in reality where the relationship between power and space becomes evident.

James Cook University has a number of student halls and colleges surrounding its Townsville campus, and as a network each has has its’ own cohort of students, its’ own reputation and its’ own traditions. Looking specifically at Rotary International House, which houses a variety of students from all across the country and the globe, all in a different level or field of study, we can recognise the relationship between power and place.

University halls and colleges are, for many, a completely new experience, a new space, which can often be quite transforming for new students. Tuan (1997. Pg3.) talks of space being freedom, which becomes evidently true when looking at the behavior of students moving into halls and colleges for the first time. There can be many benefits to living on college, one of the main benefits being newly found independence. Moving away from home, can already be both scary and empowering, however moving into student accommodation, surrounded by likeminded people of a similar age can be even more so. It gives the student a chance to exist and explore the different sides of their identity, without anyone having any preconceived ideas or notions about them. Such powerful spaces exist throughout the vast network of university halls and colleges, and have the ability greatly affect a student’s experience.

References: 

Allen, J. (2008). Lost geographies of power John Wiley & Sons.

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002 Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place. Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation, Lecture 3 [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_76323_1&content_id=_2412484_1

Rotary International House Buildings and Grounds [image]. Retrieved from: https://www.jcu.edu.au/jcu-halls/photo-gallery/rotary-international-house 

Tuan, Y. (1977). Space and place: The perspective of experience. London: Arnold.