Taking place on Zoom, (you can have your camera on or off, we will mute participants during the presentation until it's time for group discussion) we will explore the manifestations of toxic masculinity in the outdoor industry by examining the history of the National Park system and the white supremacist, patriarchal sentiments littering mainstream outdoor media (writing, film, etc.). We'll even take a critical look at Transcendentalist writers because their writing influenced much of the white-washing we see today.
Throughout the workshop we'll also investigate and interrogate related themes like
individualism, Himpathy, warrior complex, and Peter Pan syndrome, all of which were found in ample supply in the documentary "Free Solo."
There will be an open Q+A and facilitated group discussion at the end. We'll chat as a community, share strategies as to how to make the outdoor industry a safer space for all, brainstorm ideas, and create connections across time and space!
This workshop is based on the essay,
"Ambient Dominion: How 'Free Solo' Points to an Epidemic of Toxic Masculinity." We will be taking a critical look at this film, as well as
National Parks Adventure. Feel free to watch these films ahead of time if you'd like, but it's not required to participate!