{"id":12223,"date":"2019-01-09T12:23:25","date_gmt":"2019-01-09T18:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/?p=12223"},"modified":"2019-01-09T12:23:25","modified_gmt":"2019-01-09T18:23:25","slug":"the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html","title":{"rendered":"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \u201cFive Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a disclaimer, yes, the article is clearly identified as \u201cmarketing,\u201d and it\u2019s sponsored by REI, and their objective is not really to \u201cmake the outdoors more inclusive\u201d but to market themselves to outdoors enthusiasts as the socially conscious choice for purchasing outdoor gear.<\/p>\n

But the author\/marketer cites that statistic that 78% of those who visit federal parks are white, though their link is bad, so it\u2019s not possible to determine whether this refers to national parks specifically or all National Parks Service-administered properties, whether it distinguishes between Americans and white European tourists, or whether it includes Hispanic-ethnicity-folk in its definition of \u201cwhite.\u201d\u00a0 In addition, they report,<\/p>\n

African Americans, Latinos, women, and members of the LGBTQ community often report feeling unwelcome or unsafe in outdoor spaces. Moreover, the outdoors industry workforce\u2014which includes everyone from park rangers to retail sales associates\u2014has minimal representation from these groups.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In order to think about these issues, REI \/ The Atlantic \/ the marketing group convened a panel for a \u201cbrainstorming group\u201d and came up with recommendations, some of which might well be useful, others of which are silly, and yet others could do more harm than good, in furthering the cause of encouraging greater engagement with nature by non-white, non-male non-straight non-native born non-etc. Americans.<\/p>\n

Among these:<\/p>\n

Increase the degree to which the history of minority groups is documented and memorialized within the park system, both by means of \u201ctelling the stories\u201d (e.g., creating museum gallery spaces) of those groups at existing parks as well as creating new \u201cstorytelling-driven memorials\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0 This may or may not be a worthy cause, and might increase the budget of the National Parks Service, but isn\u2019t going to increase the amount of time these groups spend in the outdoors.\u00a0 Consider that the Cesar Chavez National Memorial<\/a> cited as an example in the article is located on the property of the United Farm Workers headquarters, and only a visitor center and the gravesite are open to the public for this reason.\u00a0 Likewise the new Pullman National Monument<\/a> was celebrated by civic boosters in Chicago, who even initially hoped it would be declared a National Park<\/a>, an outcome that would have perhaps boosted \u201cnational park attendance\u201d but without actually increasing Americans\u2019 experiences with the outdoors.<\/p>\n

Change park rangers\u2019 uniforms to be more \u201cmodern\u201d and \u201cwelcoming\u201d resembling a hiker or jogger, so as to avoid intimidating groups fearful of law enforcement.<\/em>\u00a0 However well-intentioned this might be, being easily recognized helps park rangers serve the public.<\/p>\n

Allow larger groups at backcountry campsites and allow dogs, to\u00a0welcome those who feel unsafe unless they\u2019re a part of larger groups or with a dog for protection.\u00a0<\/em> It might indeed be reasonable to evaluate whether in any given location, campsite numbers can be increased or dogs can be permitted rather than following blanket rules, but rules shouldn\u2019t be abandoned if there were valid reasons for instituting them in the first place.<\/p>\n

Make outdoor recreation more affordable, for instance, by organizing subsidized transportation for poor families to get to nearby outdoor spaces, by offering free admission to state parks for first-timers, or by creating more affordable lodging at state or national parks.\u00a0<\/em> Some of this is obvious. (California charges $195 for its state parks\u2019 annual pass?\u00a0 For a Blue State, that\u2019s surprising, given that Illinois charges nothing, and my neighboring states a fairly moderate fee even for nonresidents.)\u00a0 Some of this is less so \u2014 after all, high costs for national park lodging isn\u2019t (only) because providers wish to cater to luxury markets, but because of concerns about environmental protection, and there are ongoing disputes in some parks about how much lodging should be permitted anyway.<\/p>\n

Make parks \u201ccool\u201d with music or cultural festivals.<\/em>\u00a0 Which is all well and good until the battle royale begins over whether said music festivals are damaging the property.<\/p>\n

and finally,<\/p>\n

\u201cExpand the definition of the outdoors to include smaller urban parks.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>In other words, if we can\u2019t change the underlying circumstances, we\u2019ll just change the way we measure them, and call our actions a success.<\/p>\n

(Yes, that\u2019s more than five \u2013 these and other items are all sub-items of their List of Five.)<\/p>\n

But all of this ultimately just begs the question by assuming that it\u2019s important to \u201cmake the outdoors more inclusive\u201d in the first place, if, indeed, the younger generation has other interests and priorities, and in particular if camping and hiking simply isn\u2019t a part of the cultural traditions of the cultures that immigrants bring with them.\u00a0 REI\/The Atlantic addresses this briefly in its introduction:<\/p>\n

contact with nature leads to improved mental health, lower stress levels, and enhanced cognitive skills, for one. Plus, if more of an effort isn\u2019t made to engage current and future generations (and this may be an especially relevant concern, as the country continues to diversify, with the U.S. Census Bureau\u00a0forecasting<\/a>\u00a0that the U.S. will become a minority white nation by 2045), potential support for the parks \u201cmight go away\u201d altogether, according to Michael Woo, dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But, based on my quick check on the availability of accommodations for Yellowstone in summer 2019 (spoiler alert: pretty much all sold out), there\u2019ll be no harm done if the national parks are a wee bit less popular.\u00a0 One could even make a case that we could do with fewer hikers and campers, if this leaves more of the wilderness areas truly left reserved for wildlife.\u00a0 And the \u201cnature deficit disorder\u201d referenced in the article really has more to do with having green spaces in our everyday lives<\/a>\u00a0than with increasing the prevalence of hiking or camping vacations.<\/p>\n

Are we upset that immigrants and\/or young adults aren\u2019t interested in square dancing?\u00a0 Model-building?\u00a0 Hunting?\u00a0 Fishing?\u00a0 Sailing, or boating more generally?\u00a0 Golfing?\u00a0 The accordion?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it deemed a violation of multicultural sensitivity to expect that immigrants should adapt to white America\u2019s interests?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t the burden on those hobbyist-communities to share their hobby with the next generation, regardless of what skin color they are?\u00a0 And if they can\u2019t make the case that that activity is attractive without appealing to cultural traditions, then tough luck, and those hobby shop or slot car racing storefronts can be used for Mariachi band instruments and quinceanera<\/em> dresses instead.<\/p>\n

It comes down to this:\u00a0 how do you distinguish between \u201chobbies\u201d and crucial pieces of the fabric of American life (churches, community institutions) which benefit society as a whole rather than just providing fun and relaxation for those who choose to participate in them?\u00a0 Our current conversation has been so suffused with \u201ctolerance\u201d and \u201cmulticulturalism\u201d and honoring everyone\u2019s individual identity groups that we don\u2019t have the space to discuss this, and to make the case that a society which engages in the outdoors is better than one that doesn\u2019t, in the same way as is the case of a society with healthy community institutions.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the blinders worn by those immeshed in the ethos of diversity (as well as the need to virtue-signal to their target audience) meant that this panel missed the most obvious way to reach out to prospective outdoorsmen and -women:\u00a0 Scouting.\u00a0 After all, one of the reasons (or the explanation offered by the BSA, in any case) for opening BSA-scouting up to girls, in (yes, this point is generally missed) single-sex dens (for Cub Scouts) or troops (for Scouting), was as an outreach to immigrant families, who expressed the desire for\u00a0scouting to be something they did as a family, even if that took the form of a single meeting time with \u201cbreak-out groups\u201d for each age\/sex den\/troop.\u00a0 And scouting \u2014 for middle and high schoolers \u2014 includes monthly outings, usually outdoors, so that boys (and, yes, now girls) can learn camping, hiking, and general outdoor skills in a structured way, and encourages parents to accompany their children and the Scout leaders, so that they, too, can gain experience with camping even if they didn\u2019t grow up with it.\u00a0 And scout camping is an affordable way for a young person or a family to begin to experience the outdoors, since the troop purchases equipment such as tents and cooking equipment, leaving for individual scouts only such items as sleeping bags, warm clothing, and mess kits, and scouts learn to be thrifty (a part of the Scout Law, after all) in camping as well.\u00a0 But instead of supporting Scouting (or, alternatively, alternative scouting-style organizations), those who fancy themselves socially-aware have mocked them.<\/p>\n

And finally, even though they seek to encourage groups with the mission of encouraging specific underrepresented groups (highlighting groups supporting blacks or black women specifically and gay people in the outdoors) to hike and camp, they completely miss the role that strenghtened churches and community organizations could play.\u00a0 The authors propose that corporations might provide transportation to state or national parks as a charitable deed.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t this make more sense as something that\u2019s done as a church outing instead?<\/p>\n

So, yes, again, this is marketing.\u00a0 This is virtue-signaling.\u00a0 But this is also another illustration of a divide that means they miss the point.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image: \u00a0https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/subjects\/camping\/frontcountry-camping.htm<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \u201cFive Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.\u201d As a disclaimer, yes, the article is clearly identified as \u201cmarketing,\u201d and it\u2019s sponsored by REI, and their objective is not really to \u201cmake the outdoors more inclusive\u201d but to market themselves to outdoors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":10075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1012,789,1162],"class_list":["post-12223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-camping","tag-social-justice-activism","tag-virtue-signaling"],"yoast_head":"\nThe new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), "Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive." As a disclaimer, yes, the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), "Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive." As a disclaimer, yes, the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jane the Actuary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2018\/07\/frontcountry3_1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"384\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jane the Actuary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jane the Actuary\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html\",\"name\":\"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/ed9b99e0bd58c5eeeebae6b82fa5a77a\"},\"description\":\"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \\\"Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.\\\" As a disclaimer, yes, the\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/\",\"name\":\"Jane the Actuary\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/ed9b99e0bd58c5eeeebae6b82fa5a77a\",\"name\":\"Jane the Actuary\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d6a493d380e87d49599d5487691c9fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d6a493d380e87d49599d5487691c9fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jane the Actuary\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/author\/actuaryjane\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition","description":"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \"Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.\" As a disclaimer, yes, the","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition","og_description":"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \"Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.\" As a disclaimer, yes, the","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html","og_site_name":"Jane the Actuary","article_published_time":"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":384,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2018\/07\/frontcountry3_1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jane the Actuary","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jane the Actuary","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html","name":"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00","dateModified":"2019-01-09T18:23:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/ed9b99e0bd58c5eeeebae6b82fa5a77a"},"description":"In the Atlantic the other day (well, actually two weeks ago or thereabouts), \"Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive.\" As a disclaimer, yes, the","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2019\/01\/the-new-generation-is-ruining-x-outdoors-edition.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The new generation is ruining X, outdoors edition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/","name":"Jane the Actuary","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/ed9b99e0bd58c5eeeebae6b82fa5a77a","name":"Jane the Actuary","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d6a493d380e87d49599d5487691c9fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d6a493d380e87d49599d5487691c9fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jane the Actuary"},"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/author\/actuaryjane"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}