Compassion through Asceticism: Contemplating the Caveats and Socio-Environmental Values Related to a Backcountry Fast

Given the socio-environmental crises we face, educators might advisably look for means to address them. Within US outdoor adventure education (OAE), the moral educational potential of the “backcountry fast” is one such curricular area. However, little is written on this field-based tradition. This absence is concerning since fasts raise questions of risk and social-ethical appropriateness (e.g. food-scarcity). After acknowledging these social-ethical caveats, this paper, which draws from philosophical and monastic sources, provides a moral rationale for the backcountry fast. An act of asceticism, fasting practices can cultivate discipline, promote self-revelation, and awaken empathetic compassion (a-suffering-with) through identification with the involuntary suffering of others (human, more-than-human, and the planet itself). Although fasting’s full value is realized in a justice-seeking practice, highlighting the limits of one-off OAE programming, the article affirms its continued use within OAE, and counsels that fasts be educationally framed regarding their purpose(s) and potential as a post-program discipline.

Download Full-text

Effective Skills Instruction in Outdoor Adventure Education

Journal of Physical Education Recreation & Dance ◽

10.1080/07303084.1994.10606835 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 57-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

John Luckner

Keyword(s):

Adventure Education ◽

Outdoor Adventure ◽

Outdoor Adventure Education

Download Full-text

Exploring the Inclusive Praxis of Outward Bound Instructors

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci10090241 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 241 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert P. Warner ◽

Bruce Martin ◽

Andrew M. Szolosi

Keyword(s):

Adventure Education ◽

Outward Bound ◽

Future Research ◽

Outdoor Adventure ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Outdoor Adventure Education ◽

Starting Point ◽

Critical Issues ◽

The Usa ◽

Equity And Inclusion

Equity and inclusion are critical issues that need to be addressed in outdoor adventure education. Although some literature identifies inclusive practices for enhancing equity in outdoor adventure education, most research does not situate these practices within the contexts in which they were created and used. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore outdoor adventure education instructors’ inclusive praxis, and the conditions that influenced their praxis on their courses and in their instructing experiences. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten instructors from four Outward Bound schools in the USA. The instructors varied in their gender, school, types of programs facilitated, and duration of employment with Outward Bound. Our inductive analysis of the interview data focused on the identification of themes illustrating the characteristics of instructors’ inclusive praxis, as well as the conditions that influenced their praxis. Themes emerged from our analysis that highlighted the macro and micro conditions that set the stage for instructors’ inclusive praxis, which focused on creating spaces that fostered inclusive group cultures on their courses. The findings from this study may be a useful starting point for enhancing the instructors’ role in fostering equity and inclusion on outdoor adventure education courses. We conclude with suggestions for future research.

Download Full-text

Exploring the Possibilities of Outdoor/Adventure Education

Kinesiology Review ◽

10.1123/kr.2020-0041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 299-304 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kent Griffin

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Student Learning ◽

Adventure Education ◽

Educational Goals ◽

Education Curriculum ◽

Outdoor Adventure ◽

Outdoor Adventure Education ◽

Individual Sports ◽

Traditional Paradigm ◽

Viable Model

Physical education in recent years has undergone modifications in order to meet the changing demands of students. The traditional paradigm has been to teach physical education from a sport- and skill-based approach, whereby traditional teams and individual sports are emphasized (e.g., basketball, volleyball, flag football). However, this curriculum may be less impactful on student learning than alternatives and is not viewed favorably by administrators because it is perceived as lacking relevance to broader educational goals. The purpose of this paper was to reintroduce a curriculum that has the potential to address student learning in physical education and broader educational goals. The outdoor/adventure education curriculum, while neglected in recent years, is demonstrating promising gains as a viable model.

Download Full-text