Date of Award
8-2018
Degree Type
Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Kathryn Madden
Second Reader
Gillian Bowser
Keywords
outdoor education, social justice
Abstract
Historically, the field of outdoor experiential education (OEE) has been exclusionary and has primarily served white middle- and upper-middle class male populations. Scholars have called for research on how to address issues of social justice in the field for decades, and leaders are finally making steps toward becoming more inclusive. Through a secondary analysis of empirical studies on OEE, this paper examines how the field has modified its focus towards minority populations in K-12 OEE programs in the United States and provides recommendations for practitioners of OEE. There is evidence of an increase in studies on how OEE is perceived by minorities and how its impacts have affected different communities over the last 40 years. The understanding of attitudes and perceptions of OEE has changed with the introduction of new concepts regarding health and wellbeing tied to outdoor experiences as well as social justice.
Recommended Citation
Kalert, Digby, "Social Justice in Outdoor Experiential Education: A Literature Analysis of K-12 Outdoor Education Programs in the United States" (2018). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 221.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/221
Included in
Environmental Studies Commons, International and Area Studies Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons