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The (Re)creation and (Re)storying of Space in Outdoor Education: Gyms, Journeys, and Escapism

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Unfamiliar Landscapes

Abstract

This chapter draws on new-materialist approaches to challenge the perceived ‘fixity’ of outdoor space in outdoor education. Through a case study of the Outward Bound Trust, Hickman Dunne explores how landscapes (and young people) are (re)created through memory, social relations and embodied interactions, and therefore always ‘becoming’ in relation to each other. The discussion highlights the agency of land and non-human matter, and the role of instructors in guiding embodied practices and memories of outdoor places. Hickman Dunne also seeks to promote reflection for those working in these pedagogical contexts by focusing on how outdoor experiences are differentially shaped by body-place memories and habits, concluding with a call to address dominant perceptions and ‘productions’ of nature and push the boundaries of more inclusive educational practice.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Typically, outdoor learning centres offer high-paced and high-intensity ‘fun’ activities. In contrast, the OBT more commonly create ‘type II’ or retrospective ‘fun’ through longer, slower and challenging tasks.

  2. 2.

    The jog and dip was an element of the original OBT courses, whereby participants ran down to the jetty and jumped into the estuary. It has been adapted for modern courses, but still retains its significance as the first challenge young people face.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Youth Impact, London, UK

    Jo Hickman Dunne

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  1. Jo Hickman Dunne
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Correspondence to Jo Hickman Dunne .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Thomas Aneurin Smith

  2. School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Hannah Pitt

  3. School of Education, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Ria Ann Dunkley

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Dunne, J.H. (2022). The (Re)creation and (Re)storying of Space in Outdoor Education: Gyms, Journeys, and Escapism. In: Smith, T.A., Pitt, H., Dunkley, R.A. (eds) Unfamiliar Landscapes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94460-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94460-5_2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-94459-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-94460-5

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