The 'outdoors' is a physical and ideological space in which people engage with their environment, but it is also an important vehicle for learning and for leisure. The Routledge Handbook of Outdoor Studies is the first book to attempt to define and survey the multi-disciplinary set of approaches that constitute the broad field of outdoor studies, including outdoor recreation, outdoor education, adventure education, environmental studies, physical culture studies and leisure studies. It reflects upon the often haphazard development of outdoor studies as a discipline, critically assesses current knowledge in outdoor studies, and identifies further opportunities for future research in this area.
With a broader sweep than any other book yet published on the topic, this handbook traces the philosophical and conceptual contours of the discipline, as well as exploring key contemporary topics and debates, and identifying important issues in education and professional practice. It examines the cultural, social and political contexts in which people experience the outdoors, including perspectives on outdoor studies from a wide range of countries, providing the perfect foundation for any student, researcher, educator or outdoors practitioner looking to deepen their professional knowledge of the outdoors and our engagement with the world around us.
Barbara Humberstone is a Professor of Sociology of Sport and Outdoor Education at Buckinghamshire New University, UK. Her research interests include: embodiment and nature-based sport, and well-being and outdoor pedagogies. She co-edited Whose Journeys? The Outdoors and Adventure as Social and Culture Phenomena (2003); Seascapes: Shaped by the Sea: Embodied Narratives and Fluid Geographies (2015) and has published papers in a variety of journals. She is Editor-in-chief of Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and was Chair of the European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning (2004-2008). She is a keen windsurfer, walker, swimmer and yogini
Heather Prince is Associate Professor of Outdoor and Environmental Education in the Department of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria, UK. She designs, develops and teaches on many undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Outdoor Studies and is interested in pedagogic practice in outdoor education and ecology. She is a member the Editorial Board of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and loves adventuring in wild places on foot and by boat
Karla A. Henderson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at North Carolina State University, US. Her research interests include women and social justice, physical activity, and research methods as they pertain to the outdoors and other leisure experiences. She has published in a number of journals and served as a founder for the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors and of the American Camp Association's Committee for the Advancement of Research and Evaluation. She enjoys hiking in the mountains, traveling, and playing her trumpet
