Declaration of Support for Naturist Research and Publication

    Naturism is defined by the International Naturist Foundation as “a way of life in harmony with nature, characterized by the practice of common nudity, with the intention of encouraging respect for oneself, respect for others and respect for the environment.” As a practice thus named, it has existed since the early twentieth century with origins in Europe; however, communal nudity has existed in all cultures in some form or another since the beginning of humanity.

    As such, naturism, or social nudism, is a legitimate subject of enquiry for research and publication, not only among practitioners of the social sciences such as anthropology, sociology, history, or psychology, but also in fields such as the arts and humanities, the health sciences, economics, tourism studies, law, business administration, and many others.

    In light of the above, we deem unethical that university entities such as administrators or governing councils discriminate against, fail to promote or grant tenure, or reject for consideration for administrative positions, faculty or staff members on the sole grounds that they conduct or have conducted research in naturism, publish or have published naturist research or creative work, participate or have participated in naturist-themed art or performance, and/or identify as naturists.

    Said faculty or staff members should of course follow all pertinent ethical guidelines and expectations for collegiality, along with any applicable institutional policies regarding social media, but they should not be penalized for being naturists, nor for contributing to research, publication, or creative endeavor in the field of naturist studies.

    We, the members of the Professors and Researchers Special Interest Group (SIG), represent current faculty members, former faculty members, and unaffiliated researchers, in numerous fields of enquiry and from across the country. Active since the year 1999, the Professors and Researchers SIG is one of many Special Interest Groups affiliated with The Naturist Society Foundation (TNSF), which, along with the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), represent and defend nudist/naturist organizations and interests in the United States.

Adopted 2024