Hi all

so my sunday morning thoughts  in continuation of the issues of gender....
Firstly Pete :.. is my own experience sufficient evidence to say we have a
gender agenda in the OE industry or would I be risked being labelled as too
sensitive ??? 

In re, to barbara's comment on masculinites and feminities I would argue
that the emphasis, from a UK perspective , has been more emphasised by the
masculine values which we prescribe to in our society. 

Perhaps my own research between eating disorders and outdoor adventure
serves to illustrate  this point further. Eating disorders are a largely
women's phenomenon, and extensive research and literature makes the link
between women's relationship between their eating disorder and the
conditions of their lives and ascribing the feminine values to them, which
ironically become devalued.   So from on outdoor adventure perspective how
do we account for the process which serves to encourage women to develop
eating disorders as they train as outdoor educators ... a connection I have
begun to uncover as I examine the relationship between eating disorders and
outdoor adventure  ??? 

Furthermore, my attempts at trying to develop intervention and prevention
provisions for eating disorders in an outdoor adventure context has led me
to seriously take into account how the outdoor adventure space may actually
collude with reinforcement of women's eating disorders, thus an examination
of the gender agenda required.  This is an ethical responsibility ... and
serves to clearly identify the real risks of not addressing the gender
agenda, as without examination of this closely  an outdoor adventure
provsion could bring with it the risk of  reinforcement of eating disordered
behaviour, as the experiences of womne who developed eating disorders as
they trainned as outdoor educators may serve to demonstrate.

For a further simple example  I recall the story , a very recent story I
note, of a male instructor saying to a women who is experiencing the moment,
which we are perhaps all familiar with, the step between leaning back on an
abseil to starting to descend the abseil... the words of encouragement which
she received where quote' your bum looks great in that harness'.  Adding to
this I remember teaching a group of students and hearing the comment made to
a women in reference to 'jugs'. in ref. to climbing holds and also her upper
body ... in encouraging students to reflect on this comment I had to take
the risk of being labelled as too sensitive ... which perhaps demonstrates
the ways in which I fear self expression being  devalued and begin to
question my own process of self expression ...... so perhaps a double dose
of oppression there ?

  The point I raise is that the reinforcement of gender stereotypes.. e.g.
women's' concerns with their bodies are being reinforced in very subtle yet
fundamental ways and in such a physical space as outdoor adventure this
risks being heightened considerably.  If we are too make a successful
attempt of developing outdoor adventure provisions for what both women and
men we need to examine this is in much more depth and therefore raises a
really important specific research agenda.   From a men's perspective I
raise the gender issue in the context of addressing the rising increase in
young men's suicide which a recent Samaritian's report in the UK has
identified .  This suggests how men are experiencing difficulties of
expressing themselves and in consequence this fear of self-expression lends
itself to remaining in silence and if prevails can ultimatley lead to
suicide... I locate this also within the recent text by Susan Fouldi: titled
Backlash which refers to difficulties young men face with their
relationships with their fathers.  This acknowledges , therefore,  how the
gender debates are relevant for very real issues for both women and men.

In addressing these issues I would argue that we  need to reconsider the
ways in which outdoor adventure colludes with  encouraging a dichotomy
between the masculine and feminine ,  by the over encouragement of masculine
attributes and the devaluing of the feminine attributes... with the need for
a balance between the two and also allowing them to beable to coexist
together.. not having to be one or the other. Perhaps we need to be mindful
also of how legal requirements can prevent this co-existance ...e.g. AALA
and the requirement for technical qualifications.  I also note how I still
frequently  hear the terms 'soft skills' in  dialogue with professionals.


Finally, picking up on Barbara's point of the media perhaps the reaction by
the media to the death of the mountaineer Alison Hargreaves in 1995 is an
obvious example of how this dichotomy still prevails in terms of the 'either
or scenarios'  ... quote the headline in a news paper reporting on Alison's
death  ... MOTHER OR MOUNTAINEER 

 The questions I leave you all with 
1) What prevented the headline being : MOTHER AND MOUNTAINEER ..
2) would we ever read a headline FATHER AND MOUNTAINEER  
3)what significance does these answers have for outdoor adventure and the
gender agenda ??
4)  What prevents these areas being researched further ???

Still working out my answers to these ... for now

kaye

Kaye Richards
Liverpool John Moores University
School of Eductaion, Community & Social Sciences
I.M.Marsh Campus
Barkhill Road
Aigburth
Liverpool
L17 6BD

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Barbara Humberstone [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: 23 June 2000 18:47
>To: Linda Allin; 'Peter Bunyan'
>Cc: 'outres'
>Subject: Re: gender equity in participation
>
>
>Hi gender is a significant concept in sociology and social research.
>According to Bob Connell Professor of sociology   and author of 
>'Gender and Power' (1987), Gender is ,' a pattern of relations among
>people...an extensive and complex pattern woven through all 
>institutions
>they live in...and shapes their lives at every level' (Connell et al.
>1982pp33-34).There is considerable published research 
>that clearly indicates gender is a issue in OE. Her Outdoors, Risk
>,Challenge and Adventure in Gendered Open Spaces from LSA has work
>concerning women's experience of the outdoors etc. including 
>Linda's work
>on the women's 'careers' in the outdoors and May Carter from Australia
>again looking at women's leadership. 
> At a very simple level, the media representation of the outdoors as
>'macho' needs unpacking. There is research needed to explore
>different forms of masculinities as well as femininities in 
>the outdoors.
>Barbara
>
>----------
>> From: Linda Allin <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: 'Peter Bunyan' <[log in to unmask]>
>> Cc: 'outres' <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: RE: gender equity in participation
>> Date: Friday, June 23, 2000 2:47 PM
>> 
>> Hi Pete
>> 
>> If we don't have the information, we don't know if it's an 
>issue..so we
>> should start by getting some information.....then it's a 
>matter of what
>type
>> of information is useful....if by gender you mean women, I'm starting
>with
>> women's experiences...but that doesn't mean gender isn't an issue for
>men...
>> 
>> how many women contribute to this list?
>> 
>> Linda 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Peter Bunyan [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: 23 June 2000 13:52
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: gender equity in participation
>> 
>> 
>> One question that might be asked is why do we want this 
>information?  Is
>it
>> purely to describe what is going on. what evidence do we 
>have that gender
>is
>> an issue in our industry?
>> 
>> Pete.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Peter Bunyan    01243 816317
>> Adventure Education Component Leader
>> School of Physical Education
>> University College Chichester
>> Chichester  PO19 4PE
>> 
>> 
>> >>> Linda Allin <[log in to unmask]> 23-Jun-00 1:15:59 PM >>>
>> James
>> In addition to your question re the gender ratios participating in
>outdoor
>> education (to which I don't know the answer!) I was just wondering
>whether
>> anyone knew of anywhere where there were figures of the 
>gender ratios for
>> those actually leading or working on outdoor education 
>programmes?  Due
>to
>> the diversity of OE it's not easy to know, but maybe there are some
>figures
>> re outdoor education centres? 
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