JUSTICE IN SPORT AND

LEISURE: HAVE THE EASY

QUESTIONS BEEN

ANSWERED?Karla A. Henderson

North Carolina State University

Leisure Studies Association

July 17, 2012

PREMISES OF MY PRESENTATION Many of the EASY questions have been

answered because inequities have been identified

The next set of questions may be more complex because further critique and action are required

ORGANIZATION OF THIS PRESENTATIONShare issues raised in North America

Use gender justice as an example of the potential for justice research

Offer challenges to consider into the future

COMMONALITIES OF JUSTICE Social Environmental Economic Socioenvironmental Ecojustice Gender Distributive Reciprocal …..

Fairness and doing what is right

Distribution of resources is equitable

People are physically and psychologically safe and secure

Responsibility toward and with others and for society as a whole

Opportunities and behaviors where people believe they make a difference

Focus on disparity of power historically that must be transformed to assure fairness

A basis for action

NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES?

SPEAKING UP AND SPEAKING OUT: WORKING FOR SOCIAL

AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH PARKS, RECREATION,

TOURISM AND LEISURE

May 2012

Salt Lake City, UT

SYMPOSIUM THEMES Positive and Negative Associations

between Social and Environmental Justice

The Inclusion of Previously Un(der)researched Groups

Internal Critiques

Justice and Health

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

  How conservation

compromises social justice

Ecofeminism Tourism and

injustice Ecotourism and

justice Just sustainability Ecojustice

INCLUDING UN(DER)RESEARCHED GROUPS

Growth of multi-racial people

Queering space

Contesting homelessness

INTERNAL CRITIQUES OF PRACTICE RELATED TO LEISURE

Color bias of the academyUsing experiential educationCritical Thinking for Justice (for Students)

JUSTICE AND HEALTHGreen access for health

Social justice and social media

Slow food movement

Spirituality

GENDER JUSTICE

FEMINIST PHASE THEORY:STAGES OF GENDER/JUSTICE RESEARCH?

Invisible (Women)Add (Women) and Stir(Sex/Gender) Differences(Women)-only(Gender) Justice Explanations

FEMINIST RESEARCH AS BASIS FOR JUSTICE RESEARCH

a. Serves as a critique of existing research

b. Corrects biases that have existed

c. Serves as the ground work for the transformation of social science and society (e.g., through future research, policies, and practice).

EXPANDING FEMINIST PHASE THEORY TO JUSTICE

IntersectionalitySocial-cultural Nexus

FEMINIST CONTRIBUTIONS TO JUSTICE RESEARCH

Epistemology and Methodology

Breadth of Feminism—Call for Intersectionality

Gender Justice Equity, and Social Change

ROLE OF ACADEMICS/KEYNOTERS

THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS… In what ways can justice

research be done? Is justice central to leisure

studies research? If not, why not? Should it be?

How does positionality influence what research is undertaken? How is positionality useful? How might it be a problem?

THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS… How can justice research influence a

greater understanding of leisure? How can justice research regarding

leisure make life better for people? What might be the implications for policy, practice, and everyday living?

What would research look like if we really wanted to create a just society?

Have the easy questions been answered?

DR. SEUSS, THE LORAX

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”

THANK YOU