Tutor profile: Ben C.

How do you beat writer's block?

Writer's block is rooted in fear: of inadequate thoughts; of inadequate ability to articulate thoughts; of rejection by one's audience. To beat writer's block one needs to acknowledge this fear, unpack it, and embrace the ridiculousness of the act of writing. Lean into the whimsy of it all. Write what you know. Closely read the work of writers you respect. Most importantly, stick to it.

What is Environmental Sociology?

Environmental sociology is the study of the enmeshment social and ecological systems. These enmeshments matter because they are the sites where we find the non-human world has agency to shape human social systems, and where human social systems shape local and global ecologies on which we depend, often without intention but to dramatic result.

Do individuals of different genders experience outdoor recreation in different ways as a result of widely held understandings of the concept of "Nature?"

Nature as it is understood in the West, i.e. that which is not human or human made, is a social construct freighted with gendered ideas around who belongs in the outdoors and how. Wilderness, for example, tends to be portrayed as a rugged, individualistic, highly masculinized space. None of this correlates to any objective, or "true" state of wilderness, but dramatically influences societal expectations for individual interaction with areas with such designation.