Almost Nowhere: Problematizing the Exclusivity and Coloniality of American Wilderness and Thru-Hiking

dc.contributor.advisorScher, Philip
dc.contributor.authorCox, Nikki
dc.date.accessioned2019-09-18T19:31:20Z
dc.date.available2019-09-18T19:31:20Z
dc.date.issued2019-09-18
dc.description.abstractAmerican wilderness is constructed as a space free from human contact. We know objectively this cannot be true: humans have relationships with landscapes and cultural systems of meaning and significance for the outdoors. It is through investigating the origins of American public lands and the reverence frequently practiced for the outdoors in American culture that we can come to identify the systems of exclusion that police the outdoors. Looking specifically at the example of thru-hiking and the identity categories of race, gender, and class, it becomes clear the intersections at which the privileged few gain access to these pristine and profound places while others do not. Moreover, by exploring these systems on can deny the universalized and dominant narrative of the outdoors, instead recognizing the diversity of experiences and realities of human engagement with landscape. Ultimately, this work suggests that by being more representative, accessible, and inclusive public lands, and the agencies which manage them can be more equitable to the public they serve.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/24943
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectAmerican wildernessen_US
dc.subjectBackpackingen_US
dc.subjectEquityen_US
dc.subjectDiversityen_US
dc.subjectInclusionen_US
dc.subjectOutdoorsen_US
dc.subjectThru-HIkingen_US
dc.subjectWildernessen_US
dc.titleAlmost Nowhere: Problematizing the Exclusivity and Coloniality of American Wilderness and Thru-Hiking
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Anthropology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.leveldoctoral
thesis.degree.namePh.D.

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Cox_oregon_0171A_12543.pdf
Size:
1.8 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format