Outdoor Campus Recreation, Well-Being, and the Intersectionality of Constraints

Abstract

The experiences university students have during outdoor recreation opportunities have holistic benefits, yet there is a sizeable discrepancy in the representation of marginalized students in outdoor campus recreation. The structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal constraints that marginalized students experience are often cited as a reason for this reduced participation. It is possible that viewing these constraints individually is an oversimplification. In the same way that a student has an intersection of identities, so too can constraints intersect to compound and multiply barriers to participation. If we wish to have a more just university community, in which all students can experience the benefits of outdoor recreation, we must think critically about the intersectionality of constraints that hinder these students from fully participating and take action to address them. Subscribe to JOREL