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