The ‘outdoors’ is a physical and ideological space in which people engage with their environment, but it is also an important vehicle for learning and for leisure. The Routledge Handbook of Outdoor Studies is the first book to attempt to define and survey the multi-disciplinary set of approaches that constitute the broad field of outdoor studies, including outdoor recreation, outdoor education, adventure education, environmental studies, physical culture studies and leisure studies. It reflects upon the often haphazard development of outdoor studies as a discipline, critically assesses current knowledge in outdoor studies, and identifies further opportunities for future research in this area.
With a broader sweep than any other book yet published on the topic, this handbook traces the philosophical and conceptual contours of the discipline, as well as exploring key contemporary topics and debates, and identifying important issues in education and professional practice. It examines the cultural, social and political contexts in which people experience the outdoors, including perspectives on outdoor studies from a wide range of countries, providing the perfect foundation for any student, researcher, educator or outdoors practitioner looking to deepen their professional knowledge of the outdoors and our engagement with the world around us.
Introduction Section 1: Constructs and theoretical concepts Introduction 1. Foundation myths and the roots of adventure education in the Anglosphere 2. A German Theory of Adventure: A view on the Erlebnispädagogik 3. Environmental Concerns and Outdoor Studies: Nature as fosterer 4. Outdoor Studies and a sound philosophy of experience 5. Healing the split head of Outdoor Recreation and Outdoor Education: Revisiting Indigenous knowledge from multiple perspectives 6. Health and wellbeing benefits of activities in the outdoors 7. Shifting perspectives on research in the outdoors Section 2: Formal Education in Outdoor Studies Introduction 8. The primacy of place in education in outdoor settings 9. Scandinavian Early Childhood Education: Spending time in the outdoors 10. Supporting early learning outdoors in the UK: culture clash and concord 11. Curricular Outdoor Learning in Scotland: from practice to policy 12. Teaching trainee teachers about Outdoor Education 13. Pedagogic practice in higher education in the UK 14. Formal curricular initiatives and evaluation in the UK Section 3: Non-formal education and training in/for/about the outdoors Introduction 15. Careers in the outdoors 16. Beyond training for tolerance in Outdoor Experiential Education: More than just leadership 17. Professional accreditation in UK outdoor sector 18. Certification in outdoor programmes 19. Ethical considerations in Outdoor Studies research 20. Adventure Education: Crucible, catalyst, and inexact 21. Challenge course programming: On the rise or in compromise? 22. The camp experience: Learning through the outdoors 23. Sail training 24. Forest School in the United Kingdom 25. Adventure Therapy: Developing Therapeutic Outdoor Practice 26. Connecting People to Experiences through Reviewing and Reflection Section 4: International voices and cultural interpretations Introduction 27. Inclusion of Outdoor Education in the formal school curriculum: Singapore’s journey 28. Friluftsliv: Nature friendly adventures for all 29. Turistika activities, Dramaturgy and the Czech outdoor experience 30. Outdoor Studies in Japan 31. Using outdoor adventure to contribute to peace: The case of Kenya 32. Outdoor activities in Brazilian educational camps Section 5: Social and environmental justice and Outdoor Studies Introduction 33. Race, ethnicity, and Outdoor Studies: Trends, challenges, and forward momentum 34. Equality and inclusion in the outdoors: Accessing nature and the outdoors from Indian perspectives 35. Gender in Outdoor Studies 36. Age and the outdoors 37. Disability and the outdoors: Some considerations for inclusion 38. Spirituality and the outdoors 39. Outdoor education, environment and sustainability. Youth, society and environment 40. Land management and outdoor recreation in UK Section 6: Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and exploring outdoor studies Introduction 41. Experiential learning: towards a multi-disciplinary perspective 42. Enskilment and place-responsiveness in outdoor studies: Ways of life 43. Outdoor Education, safety, and risk in the light of serious accidents 44. Challenges in adventures sports coaching 45. Adventure tourism 46. Ecotourism: Outdoor Pedagogy at the Periphery 47. Bourdieu and alpine mountaineering: the distinction of high peaks, clean lines, and pure style 48. The archaeology of the outdoor movement and the German development: In the beginning was the curiosity about the sublime 49. Surfing, localism, place-based pedagogies, and ecological sensibilities in Australia
Barbara Humberstone is a Professor of Sociology of Sport and Outdoor Education at Buckinghamshire New University, UK. Her research interests include: embodiment and nature-based sport, and well-being and outdoor pedagogies. She co-edited Whose Journeys? The Outdoors and Adventure as Social and Culture Phenomena (2003); Seascapes: Shaped by the Sea: Embodied Narratives and Fluid Geographies (2015) and has published papers in a variety of journals. She is Editor-in-chief of Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and was Chair of the European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning (2004-2008). She is a keen windsurfer, walker, swimmer and yogini Heather Prince is Associate Professor of Outdoor and Environmental Education in the Department of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria, UK. She designs, develops and teaches on many undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Outdoor Studies and is interested in pedagogic practice in outdoor education and ecology. She is a member the Editorial Board of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and loves adventuring in wild places on foot and by boat Karla A. Henderson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at North Carolina State University, US. Her research interests include women and social justice, physical activity, and research methods as they pertain to the outdoors and other leisure experiences. She has published in a number of journals and served as a founder for the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors and of the American Camp Association’s Committee for the Advancement of Research and Evaluation. She enjoys hiking in the mountains, traveling, and playing her trumpet
