Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming

Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming offers an engaging approach to the consideration of enduring, current, and emerging issues in the field. Written primarily for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, the text presents 20 issues in a debate format, challenging students to participate in critical discourse concerning these issues as practitioners in the field of adventure programming.

Respected authors Bruce Martin and Mark Wagstaff have assembled a team of more than 50 contributors from around the globe to reassess some of the underlying assumptions on which adventure programming is based. They have critically examined implications of new developments for emerging practice and discussed how best to position the field of adventure programming in addressing broader societal concerns.

To set the stage for the debate, each issue is prefaced with a general overview, including the evolution of the issue and its significance in light of broader social concerns. Then, contributors present the pros and cons of each issue. A debate format helps students develop an understanding of the key points around each issue while also becoming familiar with current research pertinent to these issues. This approach also encourages students to grapple with these issues and begin to develop their own informed, thoughtful perspectives as they prepare for careers in adventure programming.

Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming is divided into two parts. Part I begins by discussing issues of ongoing concern in the field, including the certification debate, motorized versus nonmotorized forms of outdoor recreation, and program accreditation. In part II, contemporary and emerging issues are presented, such as the use of online educational programming in the field of adventure programming.

As a reference for practitioners and policy makers, Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming offers new and updated perspectives on enduring and emerging issues as well as a synthesis of the most recent related scholarly literature. In addition, the text serves as a resource in understanding how the adventure programming industry can contribute to addressing issues of broad concern in society, such as public health, global climate change, stewardship of public lands and waterways, and education reform.

Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming encourages readers to participate in some of the central debates occurring in the field. In particular, this timely resource will help students broaden their understanding of the field as they critically examine and respond to a range of enduring, contemporary, and emerging topics in adventure programming.

Bruce Martin, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of recreation and sport pedagogy at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Before joining the faculty at Ohio University, he taught at the University of Northern Colorado and Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska.

Martin’s teaching and research interests are focused on the practice of outdoor leadership and adventure programming. At Ohio University, Martin teaches courses that help students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for effective professional practice in the fields of outdoor leadership and adventure programming. He is an author of the text Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice (Human Kinetics, 2006) and has authored numerous publications related to the practice of outdoor leadership and adventure programming.

Martin has more than 20 years of experience as an outdoor and adventure programming professional. He has worked as a camp counselor, professional river guide, and Outward Bound instructor. He is a member of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), the Wilderness Education Association (WEA), the American Canoe Association (ACA), and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT). He currently holds ACA certifications as a level 4 river kayak instructor trainer and level 4 coastal kayak instructor. He is a certifying instructor for the WEA and a LNT master educator instructor.

Martin earned his PhD in social foundations of education from the University of Virginia. He earned two master’s degrees, one in experiential education from Minnesota State University at Mankato and another in human dimensions of natural resources from Colorado State University at Fort Collins. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia Commonwealth University.

In his free time, Martin enjoys helping his daughters develop an appreciation for the wild outdoors. He also enjoys recreational boating and reading. Martin resides in Athens, Ohio.

Mark Wagstaff, EdD, is a professor in the department of recreation, parks, and tourism at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, where he coordinates the outdoor recreation concentration. He is a coauthor of Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice (Human Kinetics, 2006); Backcountry Classroom: Lessons, Tools and Activities for Teaching Outdoor Leaders (Globe Pequot Press, 2005); and Technical Skills for Adventure Programming (Human Kinetics, 2009).

In addition to teaching adventure programming at the college level since 1997, Wagstaff has experience as a professional river guide, North Carolina Outward Bound School field instructor, and Wilderness Education Association instructor. He is a member of the Association for Experiential Education, Wilderness Education Association, American Canoe Association, and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. He is also a certifying instructor for the WEA and a LNT master educator instructor.

Wagstaff received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in recreation from North Carolina State University. He earned his doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University, where he also coordinated the campus outdoor recreation program.

Wagstaff resides in Christiansburg, Virginia. He enjoys whitewater canoeing, fly fishing, and upland bird hunting.