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The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Outdoor Learning pp 109–128Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Women and Leadership: Commitments to Nurturing, More-than-Human Worlds, and Fun

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education ((GED))

Abstract

Many of the leadership practices frequently employed by women have greatly influenced mainstream outdoor learning environments (OLEs) and have been adopted as common practice. In general, women’s influence in the field of adventure programming and OLEs has brought greater congruency between ethical conduct towards participants and leaders of all genders and towards the environment, as well as recognition of the importance of healthy connections and spiritual relationships. This chapter explores how practitioners can ultimately increase participants’ learning opportunities by updating practices based on locus of control, challenge by choice, stress, co-regulation, tend and befriend, comfort zone, and familiar zone, resulting in and more fun into OLEs’ programming. The author relates experiences from the 1960s and 1970s of Outward Bound and Girl Scouts.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adventure Education & Sustainability Education, Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, USA

    Denise Mitten

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  1. Denise Mitten
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia

    Tonia Gray

  2. Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, USA

    Denise Mitten

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Mitten, D. (2018). Women and Leadership: Commitments to Nurturing, More-than-Human Worlds, and Fun. In: Gray, T., Mitten, D. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Outdoor Learning. Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53550-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53550-0_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53549-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53550-0

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