Examining attitudes towards inclusion and social justice among U.S. Climbers: analysis and findings from a national survey

Abstract

ABSTRACT Climbing in the U.S. resembles other ‘alternative’ and ‘lifestyle’ sports in that it has long been an exclusionary leisure pursuit. Whiteness, a history of land dispossession, and settler colonialism have reinforced exclusive boundaries to the sport through a ‘hierarchy of participation’. Formal moves from climbing advocacy organisations, gyms, and brands have increased diversity and justice efforts in climbing through funding, pledges, and social media messaging. However, these initiatives receive varied support from within climbing communities. This paper employs a social-psychological approach to examine which factors likely help shape and maintain variation in U.S. climbers’ concern for matters related to inclusion and justice in climbing. We draw data from a national survey conducted in collaboration with the national advocacy organisation Access Fund. We then apply multiple regression to examine how various climbing and demographic attributes are associated with inclusion and justice concerns by testing three hypotheses: experienced privilege and/or marginalisation, partisan political affiliation, and issue prominence. Our findings suggest that variation in climbers’ inclusion and justice attitudes appears driven more by respondents’ affiliation with one or more marginalised identities, political leanings, and other sociodemographic characteristics that we suggest are representative of the ‘politics of everyday life’.