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Alice Through the Looking-Glass: An Autoethnographic Account of Women’s Leadership in Outdoor Education in the UK

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The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Outdoor Learning

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education ((GED))

Abstract

The metaphor of Alice going through the looking-glass in Lewis Carroll’s classic tale is used in this chapter to free us from conventional logic and rationality. Through this metaphor, the chapter contrasts the expectations of female leaders on the conventional side of the looking-glass with that on other side—the outside. This space is characterized by its potential freedom from discourse and hegemony, allowing space for people to empower themselves. This autoethnographic account describes that process of empowerment for the author as a female leader and the way in which she attempts to create experiences that may facilitate empowerment for others in spaces free from intersubjective oppressions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cumbria, Lancaster, Cumbria, UK

    Kaz Stuart

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  1. Kaz Stuart
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia

    Tonia Gray

  2. Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, USA

    Denise Mitten

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Stuart, K. (2018). Alice Through the Looking-Glass: An Autoethnographic Account of Women’s Leadership in Outdoor Education in the UK. In: Gray, T., Mitten, D. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Outdoor Learning. Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53550-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53550-0_14

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53549-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53550-0

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