The makings of an exclusive community: students’ perceptions of dangerous others

Abstract

Contemporarily, universities are perceived as neoliberal entities, self-absorbed, driven by corporate interests, markets and economic goals, rather than perceived as providing a public good, concerned for the wider world (del Cerro Santamaria in Review of European Studies, 12 (1), 22–38, 2020 ). This perception of universities as individualised communities rather than collective communities (Rousseau in Social Currents, 7 (5), 395–401, 2020 ) accentuates the responsibilisation of individuals who are viewed as responsible for solving their own problems (Martinez and Garcia in What is neoliberalism , 2000 ), including ensuring their own safety (Garland in The British Journal of Criminology, 36 (4), 445–471, 1996 ). Set against this social-political backdrop, this paper, using data from an online survey about students’ perceptions of on-campus safety at a university in the north of England, shows how some students, particularly women students, view others as dangerous, rather than view them as vulnerable groups who are residing on the margins of an inequitable society. The porous borders of the university campuses amplify some students’ perceptions of dangerous others and students’ suggestions for campus security to keep out such others arguably serve to aggravate rather than relieve their perceptions of unsafety. Yet the porous borders of the campuses should be seen as advantageous because an ecological university can connect its students to the wider world to help facilitate care for the other (Barnett in The ecological university , 2018 ). In doing so, this may enhance students’ own sense of well-being and safety in the urban environment. This is a timely argument amidst a global pandemic, where the university restricts access to unauthorised others and, in doing so, facilitates the makings of an exclusive community.

The dark and desolate campus: what can be done to enhance students’ perceptions of safety on-campus?

“…When community interaction is absent, another way of enhancing surveillance, is in a more formalised way, and which many students suggested Campus Security do, and which other research has found to enhance students' perceptions of safety, is to implement regular and targeted uniformed security patrols (Braaten et al, 2020;Cubbage and Smith, 2009;Doyle et al, 2016;Maier and DePrince, 2020;Merianos et al, 2017;Roberts et al, 2022;Stenning et al, 2003). It is particularly important to do this after-dark, and where there is little footfall so students, particularly women, feel safe to walk in areas when they are without their fellow students/friends.…”

“…Other research has found support for general "chaperone" strategies (Barberet et al, 2004;Braaten et al, 2020;Cubbage and Smith, 2009;Merianos et al, 2017). Research has also found support for enhancing mechanical surveillance, which students suggested Campus Security do, such as lighting (Braaten et al, 2020;Barberet et al, 2004;Cubbage and Smith, 2009;Maier and DePrince, 2020;Merianos et al, 2017;Roberts et al, 2022;Stenning et al, 2013) and CCTV (Cubbage and Smith, 2009), to enhance students' perceptions of safety. The importance for students, particularly women students who govern themselves in particular spaces at particular times, assessing and managing the perceived risks of danger, is seeing and being seenboth serve to enhance their perceptions of safety because they believe danger will not befall upon them if others are watching (Painter, 1996).…”

“…The thematic analysis developed three overlapping themes: lack of surveillance, dangerous others, and porous borders. The latter two themes of 'dangerous others' (largely conceptualised as strangers) and 'porous borders' (unmarked boundaries of the campus which bleed into the city), are presented more so in another paper (Roberts, 2022), because the focus of this paper is to show why and where students feel unsafe, the impact of this, and what can be done to enhance students' safety and their perceptions of safety, in relation to the theme of 'lack of surveillance'.…”

“…Women students feel more unsafe than men students. This has been evidenced in American (Braaten et al , 2020; Fisher and Nasar, 1992; Fox et al , 2009; Maier and DePrince, 2020; Merianos et al , 2017; Tomsich et al , 2011; Woolnough, 2009), Australian (Cozens and Sun, 2019), Kenyan (Pryce et al , 2018) and British (Roberts et al , 2022) research. In the latter study, the stranger was perceived as a risk to women’s safety, and other factors were inextricably linked to women’s perception of feeling unsafe: being alone, desolate places/spaces, darkness and stories/experiences of sexual attack.…”

“…In a similar vein, in a study of students on an Australian university campus, Cozens and Sun (2019, p. 301) found that areas perceived as unsafe had "low levels of surveillance". Much research shows that by increasing security patrols (Braaten et al, 2020;Cubbage and Smith, 2009;Doyle et al, 2016;Maier and DePrince, 2020;Merianos et al, 2017;Roberts et al, 2022;Stenning et al, 2013), lighting (Braaten et al, 2020;Barberet et al, 2004;Cubbage and Smith, 2009;Maier and DePrince, 2020;Merianos et al, 2017;Roberts et al, 2022;Stenning et al, 2013) and CCTV (Cubbage and Smith, 2009), students' perceptions of safety are enhanced. The following section reviews more about why students feel unsafe and the ramifications of this.…”