Sense of place as anticolonial pedagogy in outdoor adventure education: lessons learned

ABSTRACT

This paper suggested that one way that ongoing issues of equity and justice in outdoor adventure education (OAE) is prioritized is through the critical renovation of sense of place (SOP) curriculum. The researcher shared findings from a qualitative study that considered participant experiences as a way to understand how SOP in the outdoors can serve as a site of anticolonial intervention for OAE to address issues of equity. This study employed an anticolonial and anti-racial capitalist theoretical framework and qualitative description as its methodology. Findings were interpreted as: 1. An uncritical SOP in OAE perpetuates inequity, 2. By theorizing power OAE practitioners can renovate SOP curriculum towards anticolonial aims, and 3. A renovated SOP curriculum can become a site of anticolonial intervention and underscores the importance of offering students ways to affect change. The research generated possible paths forward for practitioners in OAE concerning equity and SOP curriculum and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Adventure education
• social justice
• sense of place

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Cecil Goodman

Cecil Goodman is a faculty in adventure education at Prescott College and the director of the undergraduate outdoor and community-based orientation program.