Gender relations’ dynamic and social status in the context of an educational wilderness expedition

Ouellet, Lorie; Laberge, Suzanne

doi:10.1080/14729679.2021.1961091

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Moreover, physical strength differences between men and women have been documented, but may be explained by social factors, such as the encouragement of boys and men to gendered physical activities (Miller et al, 1993). Claims of difference in hegemonic masculine organizations, such as OAE, may serve as a method of protest against the increasing recognition of women's accomplishments (Cohn, 2000) and value ascribed to stereotypically feminine skills in the field (Ouellet & Laberge, 2021). Essentialist claims of difference are particularly deleterious in OAE as they serve to reinforce the hegemonic masculinity in the subculture (Humberstone, 2000) and support the hidden curriculum that values stereotypically masculine traits and abilities (Mitten, 2018; Newbery, 2003).…”

Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such structures have resulted in the erasure of women OAE leaders’ contributions (Gray, 2016), as well as highly gendered expectations linked to hegemonic masculine norms. Examples of hegemonic masculine values include physical strength gaining outdoor leaders status (Newbery, 2003; Ouellet & Laberge, 2021), and the gendering of outdoor skills, with men associated with valued technical skills (Hickman & Stokes, 2016) and women with deprioritized relational skills (Warren et al, 2018). In addition, Tilstra et al (2022) demonstrated that risk is also a gendered notion in OAE programming, with men and boys perceived to be associated with physical risks, and women and girls with social risks, such as emotional vulnerability.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Men's Perspectives on Gender Relations in the Outdoor Education Field: Furthering the Case for a Hybrid Masculinity

Kennedy

2023

Journal of Experiential Education

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Background: Scholarship has demonstrated the influence of hegemonic masculine norms on values and practices in outdoor adventure education. However, recent publications indicate that men outdoor leaders may be increasingly aware of gender biases and consequently changing their practice. To date, few publications have considered men outdoor leaders’ understanding of masculinity in the field and how it affects their practice and professional interactions. Purpose: This study critically examined multiple aspects of gender relations from men outdoor leaders’ perspectives to determine if observed changes in some men's practice signal changes toward a more equitable understanding of masculinity or merely a pivot to maintain the status quo. Methodology/Approach: A single-embedded case study methodology was employed. Interview, observation, and artifact data were collected from 18 men outdoor adventure education leaders across the United States and Canada. Findings/Conclusions: Participants noted awareness of gender inequity and articulated some strategies employed to combat sexism, particularly those associated with gendered student expectations. However, multiple participants also demonstrated gendered blind spots and supported gender hierarchy. Implications: Participants’ demonstrated awareness of gender issues, but the considerable blind spots identified in the data indicate a troubling lack of critical self-reflection and provide support for dominant hybrid masculinity.

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Section: Findings and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's Perspectives on Gender Relations in the Outdoor Education Field: Furthering the Case for a Hybrid Masculinity

Kennedy

2023

Journal of Experiential Education

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“…It is important to note that this study is part of a larger research project. Thus, the same corpus of data and similar methods have been used in another manuscript (Ouellet & Laberge, 2021); however, the data set, the analysis focus, and the results used here are specific to the current paper.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, few studies in OAE have been conducted in order to examine how individuals achieve status in expedition groups. One study looked at the division of labor in a group and identified gender-based strategies used by group members to improve or maintain their social status (Ouellet & Laberge, 2021). This study underscored how the value and meaning attached to skills and activities are critically important in determining who achieves status in a group.…”

Section: Regular Papermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Educational expeditions designed to train outdoor leaders are significant contexts in which the status game at play within a group can be examined (Ouellet & Laberge, 2021). This study aimed to identify the main strategies used by undergraduate students in an educational expedition group to convey an impression of competence in order to maintain or gain status.…”

Section: Bourdieu's Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The “Sense of One’s Place” in the “Social Status Game” of an Educational Expedition Group

Ouellet

Laberge

2022

JOREL

Self Cite

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Group status hierarchies can affect individuals’ experiences and groups’ outcomes in group-based Outdoor Adventure Education programs. As status is associated with perceived competence, the aim of this study was to explore the strategies used by group members to influence others’ perceptions of their competences in an educational expedition group. Drawing on ethnographic data, a Bourdieusian sociological framework was used to highlight the rationale underlying the different strategies identified. Our findings indicated that participants’ sense of place in the group status structure influenced the strategies they used to convey an image of proficiency. Configurations of differential characteristics, such as gender, age, experience and social class, played a decisive role in this regard. Men who failed to achieve the status they believed they deserved were more likely to adopt strategies that were detrimental to others. We propose ways practitioners could build on these results to improve inclusivity and equality.

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Gender differences in wildlife-dependent recreation on public lands

Rizzolo

Delie

Carlson

et al. 2023

Front. Conserv. Sci.

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Different groups of people may desire and respond to social and ecological conditions in myriad ways (e.g., increased engagement, avoidance). Thus, managers of nature-based recreation sites open for public use (i.e., “public lands”) would benefit from understanding how people with different lived experiences respond under new conditions brought about by regulatory changes (e.g., infrastructural improvements, reduction of access) or environmental changes (e.g., drought, population declines). From a survey of visitors to public lands, specifically National Wildlife Refuges (i.e., refuges) in the United States, we examine gender differences in (a) participation in wildlife-dependent recreation, (b) visitor experiences, and (c) the effect of regulatory and environmental changes on future participation in preferred activities. Our sample (n = 9,918; 40% who self-selected female) included visitors to 69 refuges during 2018 and 2019. Results indicated that people who self-selected female were more likely to indicate that they don’t like being in nature by themselves, and that people close to them enjoy nature-based recreation. People who self-selected female were less likely to engage in hunting or fishing as their primary activity and noted that regulatory changes supporting these activities (specifically, fewer regulations on fishing, fewer regulations on hunting, and more acreage open to fishing/hunting) could decrease their future participation in their primary activity. Thus, respondents who self-selected female may be displaced or alienated from visiting a site if consumptive activities (e.g., hunting) are prioritized as regulatory mechanisms (e.g., for controlling abundant wildlife populations). Adaptive processes that anticipate - in advance of decisions being made - the potential ramifications of regulations on different subgroups of visitors to public lands can identify differential and inequitable impacts, and thus lead to inclusive management decisions when those impacts are preemptively addressed.

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Gender relations’ dynamic and social status in the context of an educational wilderness expedition

Cited by 3 publications

References 47 publications

Men's Perspectives on Gender Relations in the Outdoor Education Field: Furthering the Case for a Hybrid Masculinity

Men's Perspectives on Gender Relations in the Outdoor Education Field: Furthering the Case for a Hybrid Masculinity

The “Sense of One’s Place” in the “Social Status Game” of an Educational Expedition Group

Gender differences in wildlife-dependent recreation on public lands

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