Inclusion and Equity in Outdoor Leisure : Whose Body Belongs?

From multiple perspectives, this book explores the benefits that outdoor leisure delivers for wellbeing, learning, development and challenge. It takes on dominant discourses of outdoor leisure, related theory and modes of representation and offers fresh insights and thinking into how leisure in the outdoors can be understood and accessed by all.

Drawing on a variety of perspectives, personal narratives, geographies and approaches, this book challenges dominant discourses of outdoor leisure, associated theoretical approaches and modes of representation regarding the access, inclusion and social justice of minoritised participants. We consider concepts like privilege, power, and empowerment to present a range of outdoor leisure experiences of people with diverse body shapes, races, physical abilities and health conditions, gender and sexual identities, ages, and beyond-human bodies. It offers fresh insights into how leisure in the outdoors can be understood, used, and accessed in ways in which willing participants of all kinds, and especially those who have not traditionally been included, supported and centred, can access the benefits of wellbeing, learning, development and challenges that outdoor leisure participation is revered for. The book covers a range of outdoor conceptualisations that challenge the reader to think deeply and broadly about the common threads which bind the broad field of outdoor leisure together. The range of participant experiences explored in this book encompasses everything from suburban outdoors to wild places, summer camps to scuba diving, dog walking to mindful reflection, and trail walking to electric bikes. The book was designed to transition from the merely academic world to the world of activism, offering thoughtfulness and empowerment in personal and professional decision making related to the field. It should appeal to anyone interested in the outdoors from a variety of perspectives (i.e., students, emerging leaders, long-established leaders seeking innovation, thought-leadership and change makers, policymakers, advocates and activists for inclusion and justice) and for a variety of contexts (i.e., recreation, education, tourism, and adventure).