Women Wilderness & Everyday Life : an Examination of the Connection
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1998 Women wilderness & everyday life : an examination of the connection between wilderness recreation and women's liberation Sarah L. Pohl The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Pohl, Sarah L., "Women wilderness & everyday life : an examination of the connection between wilderness recreation and women's liberation" (1998). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 8417. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/8417 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. I w Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University ofIVIONX ANA Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. ** Please check "Yes” or "No” and provide signature ** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author's Signature Date vL? - Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Women, Wilderness <& Everyday Life: An Examination of the Connection between Wilderness Recreation and Women’s Liberation by Sarah L. Pohl B A Philosophy, Colby College, 1994 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wilderness Recreation Management University of Montana, 1998 Approved by: Committee Chair Date Dean, Graduate School Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP39218 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Oissartation Publish»ng UMI EP39218 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Pohl, Sarah L., M.S., 1998 Wilderness Recreation Management Women, Wilderness, and Everyday Life: An Examination of the Connection between Wilderness Recreation and Women’s Liberation Committee Chair: Dr. William T. Borrie The purpose of this study was to examine the connection between wilderness recreation and its potential to contribute to women’s liberation. Women today suffer from a seemingly endless list of inequities and injustices. But since discrimination is often engendered, attributed to the culture and society in which we live, it is a possibility that women may break out of the status quo, become empowered and liberated, and in a sense reclaim their voices. One possible method through which women may do this is by participating in wilderness recreation. Although it has been suggested that the wilderness environment is therapeutic, and psychological studies have attempted to demonstrate that meaningful changes take place in a wilderness setting, conceptual frameworks for understanding how and why these phenomena occur are scarce. In response to the current gaps in the research, the potential therapeutic value of wilderness recreation, and the current situation for women in America today, the research aims to examine and clarify the connection between wilderness recreation and women’s liberation. In examining this connection, data were collected from twenty-four semi-structured qualitative interviews with women who recreate in wilderness. Interview questions focused on the meaning of wilderness recreation for women, outcomes of wilderness recreation, and ways in which these experiences and outcomes transferred into daily life. Analysis indicated that wilderness recreation can lead to self-confidence, self-sufficiency, problem solving skills, a shift in perspective, connection to others, and mental clarity. Furthermore, these outcomes counteract some of the oppression that women live with today. In addition, these outcomes contribute to personal and interpersonal empowerment. These results suggest that wilderness and wilderness recreation can contribute to our transformation of the broader social relations of gender within society. The research provides recommendations to wilderness managers and recreation providers, in hopes of further facilitating recreational experiences and opportunities that lead to positive social change for women and society in general. 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments I would like to express my appreciation to those who assisted in this study. In particular the twenty-four women with whom I interviewed, who gratuitously opened up and shared their stories with me. The richness of these narratives could never be captured in a project of this size. I am especially grateful to Dr. William Borrie, thesis committee chair, for his encouragement, advice, patience, and support. I am thankful for the confidence he had in me from day one, and for the freedom he gave me to choose this project. In addition, I am appreciative of Bill’s perpetual “why,” his invariably open office door, his unmatched turn-over time, and his insistence upon “writing it down.” Without his knowledge and support, this project would not have been possible. In addition, the following people were especially helpful: Dr. Michael Patterson, who assisted in methodology design, data analysis, and provided many useful comments as well as an eagerness to understand. Dr. Sara Hayden who provided assistance in data collection, organization, and gender studies, and Dr. Celia Winkler who provided assistance in methodology, gender studies, and whose critical eye improved the nature and direction of the project. I would like to further extend my appreciation to the many “e- mail” advisors who have provided assistance and helpful comments for my research. In particular I would like to thank Dr. Leo McAvoy and Nina Roberts for offering support, encouragement, and interest along the way. Finally, I would like to thank Anna Signorelli for editing, for acting as a soundboard for my ideas, and for living with the mood swings of a graduate student. I ll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ü Acknowledgments ------------------------------------------------------------------- iii List of Tables -------------------------------------------------------------------------- v CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Sexism in America ------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Wilderness Recreation as Therapy----------------------------------------- 9 Past Explanations for the Therapeutic Value of Wilderness-------- 11 Aim of Research/Guiding Questions------------------------------------- 13 Thesis Organization------------------------------------------------------------ 14 CHAPTER 2— LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................... 16 Gender Research--------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Leisure Constraints------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Feminist Frameworks to Leisure -------------------------------------------- 27 Outcomes of Leisure and Outdoor Recreation------------------------- 28 The Unique Nature of Wilderness----------------------------------------- 34 Wilderness Recreation and Empowerment----------------------------- 36 Social Implications------------------------------------------------------------- 38 CHAPTER 3—METHODOLOGY................................................................. 41 In-depth Interviewing-------------------------------------------------------- 41 The Interview ------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 Behavioral Reactivity ----------------------------------------------- 49 Study Participants-------------------------------------------------------------- 49 The Dangers of a Self-Selecting Study------------------------------------ 52 Data Collection and Analysis------------------------------------------------ 53 CHAPTER 4— RESULTS................................................................................. 57 Nomothetic Vs. Idiographic Level ----------------------------------- 58