The invisibility cloak: Women's contributions to outdoor and environmental education

A Qualitative Gender Analysis of Women Field Guides’ Experiences in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare: A Feminist Social Work Perspective

“…As important as the process of gender analysis is, researchers should guard against reinforcing gender binarism. This is also an emerging caution to researchers in the literature on gender in outdoor programming (Mitten et al, 2018). Too often research addresses gender as a static factor of a binary system, rather than tuning into the complexity of gender in light of the fluidity of gender identity and expression and the multiple levels at which gender socialization operates (Warren, Roberts, Breunig, & Alvarez, 2014).…”

“…According to Markman (2011), social workers are ethically obligated to support fluid notions of gender and gender nonconformity. While some argue that dismantling this binary conception of gender would serve to reduce or eliminate the gender-based social hierarchy, social work scholars and others suggest that freedom from the limitations of and oppression within the gender binary system is to be found first through attention to and eradication of social hierarchy within the binary paradigm itself (Burdge, 2007; Markman, 2011; Mitten et al, 2018). As such, Mitten, Gray, Allen-Craig, Loeffler, & Carpenter (2018) suggest that focusing on women’s experiences within the gender binary can be an effective way to expose gender-based social hierarchy as a path toward decoupling gender and power dynamics.…”

“…While some argue that dismantling this binary conception of gender would serve to reduce or eliminate the gender-based social hierarchy, social work scholars and others suggest that freedom from the limitations of and oppression within the gender binary system is to be found first through attention to and eradication of social hierarchy within the binary paradigm itself (Burdge, 2007; Markman, 2011; Mitten et al, 2018). As such, Mitten, Gray, Allen-Craig, Loeffler, & Carpenter (2018) suggest that focusing on women’s experiences within the gender binary can be an effective way to expose gender-based social hierarchy as a path toward decoupling gender and power dynamics. The authors further note that focusing on women’s perspectives, while it does not account for the experiences of those who identify outside of the gender binary, utilizes a commonly understood language equipped to shed light on elements within the gender-based social hierarchy that affects all people (Mitten et al, 2018).…”

“…As such, Mitten, Gray, Allen-Craig, Loeffler, & Carpenter (2018) suggest that focusing on women’s experiences within the gender binary can be an effective way to expose gender-based social hierarchy as a path toward decoupling gender and power dynamics. The authors further note that focusing on women’s perspectives, while it does not account for the experiences of those who identify outside of the gender binary, utilizes a commonly understood language equipped to shed light on elements within the gender-based social hierarchy that affects all people (Mitten et al, 2018).…”

“…Previous research has highlighted the way in which gender influences women's perceived ability to enter outdoor professions, differences in acquiring outdoor technical skills (Loeffler, 2000), perceived competence as outdoor leaders (Clemmensen, 2002;Paisley, Witter, & Tyson, 2004), and career obstacles created by internalized gender bias for women in outdoor professions (Gray, 2016;Warren & Loeffler, 2006). Further, despite significant contributions to the development of outdoor education and programming, women's accomplishments and contributions have been consistently undervalued and marginalized, and these stories have often been left untold (Allin & West, 2013;Gray & Mitten, 2018;Mitten, Gray, Allen-Craig, Loeffler, & Carpenter, 2018;Wright & Gray, 2013).…”