Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education, Teaching-Learning Processes

Date of Defense

6-2-2025

Graduate Advisor

Dr. Theresa Coble

Committee

Dr. Timothy Makubuya

Dr. Keith Miller

Dr. Laura Westhoff

Honorable Robert G. Stanton

Abstract

Heritage sites immerse visitors in places where the impacts of climate change are readily apparent. They are also powerful places to elevate untold stories of women and girls. Heritage site interpreters interact daily with audiences who bring diverse lived experiences, different levels of subject matter knowledge, and multiple perspectives on climate change and the role of women in history. Every visitor interaction has a set of meanings, values, and narratives that visitors knowingly or unknowingly espouse. To interpret contested heritage topics, such as climate change and women’s history, interpreters must cultivate interdisciplinary mindsets and skillsets. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine two contested heritage topics, typically viewed as distinct and disconnected, through the lens of four truth inquiry—a framework developed by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission—to identify the mindsets and skillsets that interpreters need to engage audiences in contested heritage. The study identifies implications for heritage site programming related to climate change and women’s history and recommends strategies to strengthen interpreters’ ability to use interdisciplinary approaches in their work. Two studies conducted between 2023 and 2024 informed this work. The first focused on climate change communication. It included in situ and online semi-structured interviews with heritage site staff, visitors, and subject matter experts at Joshua Tree and Glacier Bay National Parks. The second utilized online focus group interviews to engage interpreters, educators, and subject matter experts in discussions about women’s history. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results demonstrate that interpreters require interdisciplinary mindsets and skillsets to engage with audiences on contested heritage topics, such as women’s history and climate change, and need support to develop these capacities. The study introduces an updated interpretive equation (i.e., Lister’s Interpretive Equation) that redefines the variables required in an equation first introduced by the National Park Service in the 1990s. To develop full-performance interpreters, heritage sites need conceptual frameworks and practical tools to help interpreters nurture a holistic understanding of changing natural environments and diverse narratives that recognize and honor the contributions of women to the broader American story.

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