Contested Space
Contested Space
Although many strive to avoid it, people are running into contested space moments after they open their eyes each morning. We form these walls of contested space automatically, sometimes subconsciously which comes into play as we go about life. Contested space is a generally used term; that has a fairly vague definition. However, Mary Louise Pratt In her work: Arts Of The Contact Zone expresses it use well, stating: “ I use this term to refer to social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in context of highly asymmetrical relations of power” I have personally identified contested space to be space where people or ideals collide resulting in place for each player within the situation. By viewing Monticello High School at three levels, landscape, space, and place, you can begin to break it down and see the many forms of contested space. Contested space can vary from a very physical sense, to a completely mental state, affecting how we go about life in very different ways. Monticello High School is the ideal environment for both forms of contested space.
Even based simply on its basic location in relation to other objects, there is physically contested space at a landscape point of view. The most obvious would be where the High School and Middle school are conjoined together. Contested space is formed where the high school ends, and the middle school begins. This contested space was formed more by the architects as the school was being built, rather than any students or faculty currently residing within the school itself. Another landscape of contested space, to me personally would be the cafeteria. This is because while the cafeteria was once a place for me, it is now a simple landscape. It was a place at one point because I knew who was in the cafeteria during a certain period, and I had purpose to be within its walls. However now, because of my very unique schedule, I never go near it, or even know who or what is
Although many strive to avoid it, people are running into contested space moments after they open their eyes each morning. We form these walls of contested space automatically, sometimes subconsciously which comes into play as we go about life. Contested space is a generally used term; that has a fairly vague definition. However, Mary Louise Pratt In her work: Arts Of The Contact Zone expresses it use well, stating: “ I use this term to refer to social spaces where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in context of highly asymmetrical relations of power” I have personally identified contested space to be space where people or ideals collide resulting in place for each player within the situation. By viewing Monticello High School at three levels, landscape, space, and place, you can begin to break it down and see the many forms of contested space. Contested space can vary from a very physical sense, to a completely mental state, affecting how we go about life in very different ways. Monticello High School is the ideal environment for both forms of contested space.
Even based simply on its basic location in relation to other objects, there is physically contested space at a landscape point of view. The most obvious would be where the High School and Middle school are conjoined together. Contested space is formed where the high school ends, and the middle school begins. This contested space was formed more by the architects as the school was being built, rather than any students or faculty currently residing within the school itself. Another landscape of contested space, to me personally would be the cafeteria. This is because while the cafeteria was once a place for me, it is now a simple landscape. It was a place at one point because I knew who was in the cafeteria during a certain period, and I had purpose to be within its walls. However now, because of my very unique schedule, I never go near it, or even know who or what is