Women in Leadership without Outdoor Recreation
Look at the rubric….
Introduction to the Context
NEED TO ADD CONNECTION TO EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
The purpose of this paper is to describe the current crisis and to identify the need
for further research to….
Statistics show that women are involved in a participatory level with outdoor
recreation activities. In 2012, nearly half of Americans 49.4 percent participated in some
form of outdoor recreation last year. Females make up 45% of participants, while males
make up 55% of the 141.9 million participants (Outdoor Participation Report, 2013).
When the focus moves from female participant to female leadership with outdoor
education there is a huge gap. This huge gap is one of assumption as statistics
surrounding women in leadership positions is completely absent. One can found on one
hand as to the number of women in leadership positions within outdoor education
present.
Outdoor recreation is very diverse and encompasses a large amount of activities.
Whether jogging through the streets one evening after work, to windsurfing off the coast ,
skiing the a resort or backcountry area, bird watching in a state park, there is an outdoor
activity for everyone. In 2012, running, jogging, and trail running were listed as the top
outdoor recreation activity followed by freshwater, saltwater and fly fishing with road
biking, mountain biking, and BMX coming in third. Car, backyard, and RV camping
ranked fourth, while hiking came in fifth. In 2012, nearly half of Americans 49.4 percent
participated in some form of outdoor recreation last year. Females make up 45% of
participants, while males make up 55% of the 141.9 million participants (Outdoor
Participation Report, 2013).
Outdoor education programs can be recreational, educational, developmental, or
therapy in nature. Outdoor education is often referred to as synonymous with outdoor
recreation, adventure education, and wilderness adventure. Outdoor education has
infused into city and county parks, primary schools through universities, summer camps
and guiding services. Specific programming can consist of trips, climbing walls,
challenge courses, leader training programs to name a few. A program can range from an
afternoon in a park in a city park or a day on a challenge course to an extended monthlong wilderness expedition in a remote area. In many seasonal outdoor positions,
professionals can be employed and live in the outdoor program community in which they
hold a leadership position.
Problem Statement
Where do the women participating outdoor recreation activities go when
leadership positions within outdoor recreation are open? Females make up 45% of
outdoor recreation participants, while males make for women participation in OE.
However, the statistics for women in leadership positions are nonexistent. At quick
glance in many outdoor recreation programs, there is an obvious lack of women in
leadership positions. This is problematic in that without the fundamental information
regarding women in leadership positions, looking in-depth into the reasons for this
absence is complicated.
The research question…..
1. How are the perceptions of women in high-level positions within outdoor
education and how are they able to successfully navigate through a male
dominated career field?
Meaning of the Issue for the Researcher
The researcher has been in the field of outdoor education since college, working
in guiding services, military recreation, and university outdoor recreation. Over these
past 10 plus years, the researcher has seen a lack of women in leadership positions within
the industry and herself has only worked under one female leader. By studying the
barrios limiting women, this study can provide clues about the lack of women in
leadership positions as well as provide solutions for increasing the number of women.
Definition of Terms
Many terms used in this study are common to outdoor education, outdoor
recreation, adventure education, and wilderness adventure. The terms defined here are to
provide clarification where questions may arise.
Wilderness:
Backcountry:
Frontcountry:
Outdoor/Outdoors:
Feminist:
Commitment to feminism: “ As a process of both learning about ways that they developed
a sense of self, capability, and relationships as girls and women, and responding to
awareness of how gender continues to organize and inform that identity and their
leadership, in perhaps conflicting way, through intersecting power relations” (Bell, 1996,
p.142).
Consciousness:
Hard/Technical skills: Skills involve activity specific consisting of dealing with weather,
building a climbing anchor, etc.
Soft/Interpersonal skills: Skills that involve emotion and communication consisting of
dealing with group conflict and gaining a group’s respect
Significance of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the causes for the low number of women
in leadership positions within outdoor education. To describe the current crisis….
Despite the high number of women participating in outdoor recreation activities,
the number of women in leadership positions significantly drops – where is this
disconnect? The goal of this paper is to further investigate the gap in research in regards
to women in leadership positions within outdoor recreation.
This study has implications for hiring, policy, practice, and further research.
Understanding ways in which women can be recruited, hired, and retained in leadership
positions is the first step to filling this gap. Programs policies regarding diversity,
gender, and inclusion need to be examined in order to ensure that the outdoor education’s
culture and climate is one that is friendly to women. Additionally, practice and
programming opportunities need to be accessed to ensure that programs’ offering are of
interest to female participants, young professionals, and leaders. Finally, the study can
contribute to research in the field of outdoor education as there is an obvious gap in
women in leadership research.
Claim of policy…..
1. Outdoor program administers may be able to use the information in this study
to…
2. ….. may benefit from this study by obtaining data that will allow them to set
policies….
3. Students may benefit from this study by learning what characteristics they need to
be successful in
The Review of the Literature
Outdoor Education History – WATCH FOR PLAGERISM HERE
Modern outdoor education in the United Stated established its roots from a variety
of separate initiatives. Organized camping, the Scouting movement and the creation of
Outward Bound were all ground breaking initiatives. Organized camping allowed people
to recreate in the outdoors without fear of the unknown that had previously been in place
throughout the westward expansion movement. Previously the outdoors was viewed as
big, bad, and in need of concurring. The camping movement essentially was the first step
that allowed people to be in connection with nature and not against it. An organization
initiative came next. The Scouting movement was a push to create well-rounded boys
growing physically, mentally, and spiritually within a militaristic structure. Many of the
Scouts’ activities involved outdoor activities including: archery, aquatics, camping,
hiking, woodcraft, and sports. Following the Scouting movement came the development
of Outward Bound, an outdoor education school whose background came in teaching
survival skills to young military men during wartime. The school developed into more
than a survival school for the military and began to address community service,
leadership training, and personal growth.
From these foundational initiatives, outdoor education saw a steep growth in the
twentieth century. Outward Bound programs began to spread throughout the United
States as well as internationally. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) was
founded in 1965 out of a need for leadership training as a training school for outdoor
education leaders. Shortly have the creation of NOLS, Project Adventure was developed
as a program that would take the curriculum taught on these backcountry Outward Bound
and NOLS courses into the public school system and into the classroom. Project
Adventure was also the start of the challenge course movement. Two national
associations were created in the late 70s to address the growing participation in the
outdoors and growing outdoor programs: Association for Experiential Education (AEE)
and the Wilderness Education Association (WEA). AEE focused on spreading and
broadening experiential education, while WEA focused on providing college outdoor
programs will curriculum standards (Wilderdom.com, 2015).
Outdoor Education Leadership ???
Women in Outdoor Education
Women may not be visible in leadership positions for several reasons. Women
have been socialized towards positions of power and they may have low aspirations
towards leadership positions as they see their aspirations as bearers of emotions and not
power. Finally women may have negative attitudes towards leadership viewing
leadership as inconsistent with the way in which they view themselves (Henderson,
1996).
Historically the outdoors has been seen as a male dominated space therefore, men
are thought to have higher levels of confidence and better skills in the outdoors.
FRAUMAN’S LIT REVIEW INFO WOULD FIT PERFECTLY HERE……..
Women have commonly participated in outdoor activities, but have been left out
of the outdoor literature by mainly male scholars. Throughout history, women’s voices
and experiences have been vastly underrepresented in outdoor literature. “Historically,
women have been invisible in outdoors pursuits and have been inaccurately depicted
because of the incompatibility between traditional perceptions of women’s roles and their
participation in outdoor activities” (Henderson, 1996, p. 109).
In 2012, nearly half of Americans 49.4 percent participated in some form of
outdoor recreation last year. Females make up 45% of participants, while males make up
55% of the 141.9 million participants. While participation among children and young
adults remained steady, participation among adolescents dropped, dragged down by low
participation among adolescent girls. Among females ages 16 to 20, indoor fitness
overtakes outdoor recreation as the preferred physical activity, and it remains the most
popular form of activity throughout life (Outdoor Participation Report, 2013).
The outdoors should no longer be viewed as a man’s world – as the research shows
women are actively participating in outdoor activities. This only further confirms the
need for women in leadership positions in the outdoors.
“As outdoor historians have begun to discover, women have always been leaders,
albeit often silent, in the outdoors” (Henderson, 1996, p. 108). Women have been
ignored, acknowledged mostly when conforming to male standards, and are compared to
men in their outdoor leadership style. It is assumed that women are underrepresented in
all levels of outdoor education including field instructors, program administration, and
executive staff however a study in 1993, highlighted by Loeffler, discovered that women
were only underrepresented in administrative leadership roles. Loeffler, discusses the
idea of ‘gender traps’ within outdoor education. These traps include hiring
discrimination, pay equity issues, outdoor skills and leadership competency, traditional
gender roles, and communication dynamics (1996).
In a 2013 study conducted on university outdoor programming staff ranging from
undergraduates to professional staff highlighted the role of gender as it relates to skills
and confidence. Men showed higher confidence levels in the areas of hard or technical
skills while women reported higher confidence with soft or interpersonal skills. This
study also found that females seem very confident in their abilities but are either not
showing this confidence in evaluation others or others are not noticing. WHY??
(Frauman and Washam).
Few studies have focused on women in leadership positions within outdoor
education and little is known about the current number of women employed in outdoor
education leadership positions.
“It became apparent that our bodies, as gendered, were encoded with conflicting
meanings in outdoor adventuring, in which it might seem self-evident that the social
codes for femininity would have less value” (Bell, 1996, p. 149). Some would look at a
woman of smaller statue and question whether she was physically able to perform or do
the work. As a woman, not appearing strong can create a self-conscious link to our
bodies. The appearance of a weak body type has the fear of not being able to inspire
confidence from your participants. On the other end of the spectrum, where does a
women with a larger body fit in the outdoor industry? A women interviewed in one of
Bell’s (1996) studies discusses her feelings, “I don’t fit the norm of the outdoor
wilderness leaders because my body shape is different. What I have to battle with
constantly with a group are assumptions on their part that I’m not qualified” (p. 149).
Bell mentions a study conducted in 1991 by Jordan that indicates that students
taking part in outdoor trips or programs do in fact have role expectations that are
gendered. They expectations disadvantage women leaders…….HOW
Pathway to Leadership Metaphors
Holmes, utilizes the image of a pathway to leadership metaphors in her
dissertation discussing women in leadership (2014). This image brings to light the idea
that there are a number of metaphors that describe women’s struggles, challenges and
barriers that block them from leadership positions. Two common metaphor are the glass
ceiling and the sticky floor. In order to highlight the differences between these
metaphors, each is addressed separately.
Glass Ceiling
Sticky Floor
Obstacles and Pressures
Stereotypes and Gendered Roles
Social practices the way in which we choose certain social roles to adopt and
learn in terms of how we identify as male and female. In the outdoors, this can be seen as
one’s preferences of actions or abilities within a particular activity or skill. Feminine and
masculine behavior are culturally defined and not biologically defined (Bell, 1996).
Strategies
Henderson suggests three contrasting feminist approaches for providing women
with more opportunities in outdoor education. The first approach came out of liberal
feminism during the struggle for equal rights and suggests women become more like men
in their leadership styles. This implies that women with not challenge the traditional
patriarchal, hierarchical structures in order to compensate for social inequalities. This
approach focus on culture as the culprit for inequality and no biology. This approach
does imply for many women that there is a need for these women to catch up with men
and this implies that women are a homogeneous group. Finally, it seems that women
want to be the same type of leader as a man, instead of challenging the typical masculine
leadership within outdoor education. I know I want to be a unique and different type of
leader than my male colleagues, as I understand that I can provide and bring a different
leadership style and approach. The consequence of this approach is that the values of the
male dominated outdoor culture can be internalized and seen as the standard for women
interested in becoming leadership in outdoor education. Unfortunately, this is a common
approach in the industry and is seen to many as the easiest and most realistic way to gain
leadership with the industry (1996).
Cultural and radical feminism has a contrasting approach that focuses on
correcting, preserving, and developing the strengths of women leaders and feminist
qualities. This approach was a result of discrimination and powerlessness in a patriarchal
society. These feminists feel that the actual definition of leadership could be changed to
include women’s voices. This alternative definition of leadership would allow women
the opportunity to do more than just emulate traditional male values and styles. “Thus,
the characteristics normally ascribed to men in the outdoors, such as competitiveness,
aggression, and authoritarianism, are rejected and replaced with characteristics popularly
defined as female, such as cooperation, nurturance, and consensus” (Henderson, 1996,
p.113). This women-centered approach does however, imply that there is a distinct
biological disadvantage of being a women and can create social divides. (Henderson,
1996).
The final approach is a transformational feminist perspective assuming that
leadership is neither feminine nor masculine in quality. This approach encourages that
women are not to be funneled into traditional roles, but to allow everyone to fit into their
experience in their own way. This approach can have difficulty in changing traditional
views of gender roles. MORE INFORMATION HERE….. (Henderson, 1996).
Through interviews with women in professional positions in outdoor education,
Loeffler found some commons strategies mentioned by professionals for ways to increase
employment opportunities for women in outdoor education. The first strategy is to hire
and promote women in administrative and executive positions. This draw and keep more
women participants, increase the number of available female mentors and role models,
decrease the ‘good ole’ boy network,’ and allow for a much needed paradigm shift.
Single-gendered training opportunities allow women an environment for professional
development that feels more safe and nurturing. Outdoor education needs to commit to
equal opportunity, for example changing the hiring process that seems to heavily focus on
technical skills, which traditionally are a strengths for males. Actively recruiting and
hiring women is crucial as some women tend to feel that they are not qualified to apply
for leadership positions within outdoor education, as many positions are currently filled
with males and seem to be looking for masculine qualities from candidates. Many
outdoor education organizations wait until a gender or diversity conflicts happens to
address the issue. Instead, organizations should strive to include gender and diversity
issues in their mission, goals, and provide trainings for further education. Mixed-gender
and single-gender experiences are valuable for women, however single-gender
experiences can provide greater learning opportunities where women can more accurately
gain a sense of self. Redesigning marketing and promotion materials to portray outdoor
activities as more accessible can increase the amount of women participants on programs.
Women need to be able to see women doing outdoor activities (Loeffler, 1996).
Many of the women interviewed in this study discussed their dissatisfaction with
the ‘macro’ elements and values of the outdoor culture and felt that the ‘bro’ and
‘conquering spirit’ present was very negative. It is crucial that outdoor education
organizations create a culture that are more inclusive and supportive. Women use their
professional networks and support systems for industry information, conflict resolution
and professional development. The lack of women and newer practice of pairing females
and males together as a leadership team for program, decreases the opportunity for
women to be able to work side by side. The culture surrounding working days and times
is one of extended time in the backcountry, nights, and weekends. Allowing
programming to be a bit more relaxed would allow women to the chance to better balance
their personal lives and families. Doing fieldwork for two weeks to a month at a time is a
hard way to balance. Additionally, this fieldwork is often seasonal which means that is
not part-time, provides no insurance, and is not considered a living wage making raising a
family very challenging. This type of work is unappealing to women that are older, have
families, are reaching children, or are in debt. The ‘outside’ world doesn’t understand
careers in outdoor education, nor do they see the value of the profession or the reality of
the workload. Educating the general public on the field of outdoor education would
allow for less explanation and a more reputable thoughts surrounding the career. The
achievements of women in the outdoors need to be understand by women and celebrated
by the industry. Women becoming more involved in writing and publication are a
tangible way in which to further contribute to the field. (Loeffler, 1996). Loeffler quotes
one of the women in the study on her feelings about women’s achievements:
“Women have had a strong influence on how the whole field has become more
open to diversity, more cooperative, less competitive, more gentle, and more processoriented. This movement has come from women’s voices in the field and is not
recognized. We need to rewrite history” (1996, p. 101).
Theoretical Framework
JUST NEED TO PICK ONE – Feminism & Emancipatory Research
Social constructionist (this is too broad)
Approach the research from…. Perspective
Needs a theoretical orientation
Feminist is the framework, but the process of my research is emancipatory/critical
paradigm
The paradigm that this paperwork will utilize will be the critical paradigm, which
focuses on emancipating and empowering. This paradigm seeks out the power
relationships and pressure that exist within our world. It focuses on finding and
understanding the world through a lens of oppression. Human behaviors and experiences
are determined by the oppression they have faced (Bloom, 2011). In our world, values
have been set in place to determine the way in which the world should ‘work.’ Critical
theory questions these values: “the question immediately arises as to what value and
whose values shall govern” (Bloom, 2011, pg. 24). Beginning research in outdoor
education from a feminist perspective must begin with a critique.
The theoretical framework utilized throughout this study will be of feminism.
Feminist research focuses on the critical theory paradigm and looks to highlight
inequalities and power struggles in society. Much of the research is grounded in the
experiences and voices of women (Stanley & Wise, 2002).
Feminism can easily be connected to nature and to outdoor education. “Feminist
perspectives provide a basis for examining the nature of participation, the goals of
leadership, and the meanings associated with the outdoors” (Kayla, 1996, p. 6). In order
to understand a females’ experiences, Alecia Youngblood Jacksons states that she, “took
up the feminist researcher’s concern of honoring the voices of women, using a
multiplicity of data, and starting with a women’s personal experience” (2001, p.386).
In 1979, Hardin conducted one of the earliest studies of women-only wilderness
courses and recommended that the effects of women’s outdoor learning on the
development of feminist consciousness be further researched. It has only been more
recently that outdoor leadership has begun to be examined from a feminist perspective –
looking to correct the invisibility and remove any inequality or oppression (Henderson,
1996).
LOOK AT THE FEMINIST CONSCIOUSNESS ARTICLES
Bell (1996) believes there is a great deal of importance to examining the effects of
feminist consciousness on the professional lives of women working the outdoor field.
Bell conducted a qualitative, narrative study of several feminists and feminist outdoor
leaders to explore how their feminist beliefs affect their professional lives. Her study
found that a commitment to feminism in professional work could affect daily work as
these feminist leaders to do not separate themselves from their work.
Third wave feminism “recognizes the importance of multiple locations and the
need for previously silenced voices within feminism to be articulated” (Somekh & Lewis,
2011, p. 71). The concept of eco-feminism can relate nicely to work in outdoor education
and lies within third wave feminism. Eco feminism connects the ideas of
environmentalism and feminism. Eco feminism is a large and vast area within feminism.
Conclusion/Explanations/My Theories
Why are there so few women in upper level leadership positions in outdoor education?

“I hear …. Confusion of finding oneself colluding in the construction of a socially
acceptable identity” (Bell, 1996, p. 156).

Are women editing their life experiences to fit into the male dominated outdoor
industry culture
EXTRA MATERIALS
Composite theories of outdoor leadership employ that all leaders have objective
knowledge and skills required to guarantee the safety of the participants they are leading.
Judgment and decision making are made on behalf of the participants. This implying
that, “ability becomes power in the practice of making judgments and speaking for
others” (Bell, 1996, p. 144). This can also be referred to as astuteness – the thought
‘correct’ decisions are being made regarding participant safety. But the common
argument that arises within the outdoor industry is whether astuteness is an ability or a
trait? “Most outdoor leadership theorists treat outdoor experiences as objective, abstract,
and cumulative” (Bell, 1996, p. 144).
References
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Bloom, Nicholas (2011). Foundations of Inquiry. San Diego: University Readers.
Erpelding, Mat & Harrison, Geoff (20 ). Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and
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(Eds.), Women's Voices in Experiential Education (pp.144-156). Location: Publisher?
Holmes, Sara Allison Carr (2014). Journey to the Presidency: Stories from women community
college presidents. Dissertation - CHECK APA
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Kayla,
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experiential education careers. In Warren, Karen (Eds.), Women's Voices in Experiential
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Outdoor Participant Report (2013). The Outdoor Foundation. Retrieved from
outdoorindustry.org. - CHECK APA
Stanley, Liz and Wise, Sue (2002). Breaking Out Again: Feminist Ontology and Epistemology.
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