This year’s Honors Exchange, “No Particular Place To Go: Wandering and Purpose,” inspired by the Chuck Berry song “No Particular Place to Go,” unravels the question of what happens when we roam. Alongside our facilitators, we will explore topics of access and barriers within the physical environment, architecture and design, geography, documenting experiences, and more. This will be facilitated through field trips, discussions, artifacts, and other experiences. Last Friday marked our first meeting for the Honors Exchange. Similar to any first day of class, we reviewed the syllabus to gain a better understanding of the Exchange ahead of us. We learned more about each other, and shared our favorite places to wander.
To set the intention for our class activity, Professor Michael Stelzer Jocks gave a presentation on being a flânuer. A flânuer is a man who wanders and strolls around a city. It was popularized in Paris in the 18th century as urbanization became more widespread. It was a manner in which to celebrate this new lifestyle. A flânuer is intentionally slow, and does not have a final destination. This idea may seem foreign to us, especially in Chicago, a bustling fast-paced environment. As we learned about being a flânuer, it was important to recognize that it was very gendered, and only geared for men. Women flânuers were not celebrated or respected, and their intentions were generally questioned. As time progressed, a new term emerged to describe women who wander: flâneuse.
After the presentation, we were tasked with becoming flânuers or flâneuses ourselves. We paired up in groups of two, and were given a direction to explore for one block. We needed to take one picture of something that we noticed while doing this. My partner and I explored one block west. Although we could quickly walk the block, we were given 30 minutes. We roamed the street slowly, trying to take in the environment around us. We went down the alleys, which we usually avoid, to see how our perception would change. We couldn’t help but feel different from the fast-pace city dwellers around us. Everything seemed to zoom past us as we became more and more stagnant. We noticed storefronts that we usually pass by quickly, and small decals on buildings we’ve never seen. Our heads were on a swivel, looking in every direction possible.
After 30 minutes, we regrouped and shared the pictures with each other. It felt strange being able to see the city through a different lens. The bustle and busyness of our schedules often make it difficult to see through the visual noise around us. We rarely look up or back and connect with what’s around. We also talked about how time makes us navigate, a factor we ignore. Time pushes us to always move forward, neglecting the idea of being a flânuer. We also shared ideas surrounding the purpose of space. We noticed how one of the ways that does facilitate connection between us are businesses, which is the central purpose of cities. We discussed how the purpose of the spaces around us are dynamic, and constantly change depending on our needs. Especially in a place like Chicago, space is rich in history and can tell us more about ourselves as part of a city.
After we each shared our pictures and our quick reflections, we spoke about the discomfort of being a flânuer and why it is not as common today. One of the main concerns was the idea of safety and general fear in being genuinely present in the spaces around us. We naturally assume that danger is around us, and this anxiety drastically increases for women. In addition, being a flânuer is not always necessarily accessible to everyone. For some people, there is this constant need of looking down and being hyper-aware of possible obstacles for safety.
As I thought about the presentation and activity, I wondered what it means to be a flânuer in the 21st century. As much as many people would love to explore, many can’t because of the need to work and support families. Being a flânuer requires economic freedom, it is a status of power. I was also reminded of the physical infrastructure that changes the way people explore. In big cities, like Chicago, we have extensive and somewhat accessible ways of moving throughout the city, like public transportation. Although we are confined to the borders of the Chicagoland area through public transportation, we are exposed to diverse cultures, customs, and experiences that we may not have encountered in our individual corners of town. Furthermore, although our daily routines can be monotonous, there is nothing monotonous or dull about our environment. When in the monotony of the day to day, we may not metacognitively connect with our surroundings, and somewhat treat it as something normal and typical. We were inspired to use the time we have to start observing actively instead of passively. Through curiosity and the ability to wander, we can reconnect and feel present.
Learning more about the history of being a flânuer as well as the experience in the modern world puts into perspective what it means to wander. There are factors that can motivate us to become flânuers, and, on the contrary, aspects that prevent wandering. Putting this into practice with my classmates makes me think about how we deprive ourselves from truly connecting with the environment around us. Although we learned and experienced so much from this exchange meeting, we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface! Our next meeting is October 25th. Make sure to check Blackboard and Instagram for updates!
Images shared by Honors Exchange participants.