Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Formative Interests And Pathways To Natural Resources Careers Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities, Laura Burmann

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Land use, values, and ethics vary across cultures; however, those making natural resource (NR) management decisions are often not representative of the diversity of people who live on the land. Diversifying the workforce is a step towards ensuring management decisions and policies are inclusive of all peoples; however, few people from minority groups are pursuing degrees related to NR management. The purpose of this study is to assess factors affecting the decisions to pursue careers in NR fields among historically underrepresented groups of people, with an emphasis on the role that youth environmental education (EE) programs play in creating career …