Diversity, Parks, and Recreation

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Diversity, Parks, and Recreation

• David Scott, Professor
• Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism
  Sciences
• Texas AM University

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Overview of Presentation

• What exactly is diversity and what factors are
  driving natural resource managers to become more
  inclusive?
• How is the population of the United States
  changing?
• How do we account for the fact that there is
  variability in the way different ethnic and
  racial groups use park and recreation resources?

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What is Diversity?

• Technically refers to variety, difference, or
  multiplicity
• Combating overt forms of discrimination and
  privilege
• Respect, sensitivity, and responsiveness to group
  and individual differences

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Race and Ethnicity
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Factors Driving Diversity Efforts Its the Law!

• Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education (1954)
• Civil Rights Act (1964)
• Title IX (1972)
• American with Disabilities Act (1990)

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Factors Driving Diversity Efforts Part of Our
Democratic Legacy!

• Consistent with Judeo-Christian values of
  liberty, equality, progress, and moral
  responsibility
• All men ... are endowed by their Creator with
  certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
  Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
• Lasting power of social justice activists
• Civil Rights, Feminism, Progressivism

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Factors Driving Diversity Efforts Our Population
is Changing!

• Population is growing
• Population is getting older
• Proportion of minority groups in the population
  is on the rise

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Population Growth in the United States 1900-2000
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Percent Population Growth by Decade in the U.S.
(1990-2000)
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Percent of U.S. Population Change Due to
Immigration and Natural Increase
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Origin of Immigrants into the U.S. (1900-2000)
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Projected Changes in the Median Age of U.S.
Population (1990-2050)
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Projected Percent Changes in the Age Distribution
of the U.S. (1990-2030)
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U.S. Age Composition by Race/Ethnicity (2005)
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Changes in Number of Racial/Ethnic Groups in the
U.S. (1980-2000)
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Changes in Number of Ethnic/Racial Groups in
Texas (1980-2000)
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Percent Change in Number of Ethnic/Racial Groups
in U.S. and Texas (1990-2000)
change
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Proportion of Ethnic/Racial Groups in the U.S.
and Texas (2005)
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Projected Racial/Ethnic Composition of Texas
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Major Hispanic Groups (U.S.)
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Major Asian Groups
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Changes in Rates of Hunting (USA) 1980-2006
Data National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Changes in Rates of Fishing (USA) 1980-2006
Data National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Changes in Rates of Wildlife Watching Away from
Home (USA) 1980-2006
Data National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Percentage of Hunters by Race (2006)
Data 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Percentage of Anglers by Race (2006)
Data 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Percentage of Wildlife Watchers Away from Home by
Race (2006)
Data 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Participation in Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife
Watching Away from Home by Ethnicity (2006)
Data 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
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Participation Rates inOther Outdoor Recreation
Activities
Data 2000-2008 National Survey of Recreation and
the Environment
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Accounting for Differences in Outdoor Recreation
Participation among Ethnic/Racial Groups

• A range of factors shape (and constrain) both
  participation and preferences

A
Preferences
Constraints
Participation
B
Participation
Constraints
Preferences
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Accounting for Differences in Outdoor Recreation
Participation among Ethnic/Racial Groups

• Socioeconomic status
• Level of assimilation
• Ethnicity and cultural values
• Discrimination and safety concerns

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Socioeconomic Status

• Differences between majority group and minority
  group recreation are due to differential access
  to recreation resources
• lower incomes among minority group members, and
• inequality in distribution of recreation
  facilities and other public goods

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Economic Disparities Between Blacks and Whites
Black income as a percent of Year White
income 1950 54 1959 52 1969 61 1974 58 19
80 58 1985 58 1990 59 1999 62 2004 62
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Source Scott, D., Munson, W. (1994).
Constraints to park usage among persons who are
economically disadvantaged. Journal of Park and
Recreation Administration, 12(4), 79-96.
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of residents in NE Ohio who said they visited
parks at least once a month
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of respondents who said fear of crime was very
important in limiting their use of public parks
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of respondents who said location of parks was
very important in limiting their use of public
parks
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of respondents who said lack of public
transportation was very important in limiting
their use of public parks
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Lowest Highest Gender Female Male Age 65 lt 65
Race/Ethnicity Minority White Education No
college College Income lt20,000 20,000
Lee, J., Scott, D., Floyd, M. (2001). Journal
of Leisure Research. Shores, K. A., Scott, D.,
Floyd, M. F. (2007). Leisure Sciences.
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of Texans who said they visited outdoor
recreation areas by stratum
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of Texans who said various constraints limited
their use of outdoor recreation areas by stratum
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Level of Assimilation

• Process in which an individual or group takes
  over the core culture and identity of another
  group and becomes part of that group

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Immigrants recreation is often constrained by

• Poor language skills
• Disrupted social relations
• Financial and time constraints associated with
  establishing a new household

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Rank Order of Recreation Barriers among Recently
Arrived Chinese Immigrant Adolescents
Source Yu, P., Berryman, D. L. (1996). The
relationship among self-esteem, acculturation,
and recreation participation of recently arrived
Chineses immigrant adolescents. Journal of
Leisure Research, 28(4), 251-273.
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Ethnicity and Cultural Values

• Recreation may be culturally expressivedifference
  s in recreation/leisure reflect distinct social
  values, norms, roles, tastes, and styles
• Recreation may be used for boundary
  maintenancegroups engage in recreation
  activities to set themselves apart from others
• Activities and places may not be regarded as
  culturally relevant

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Comparison of cultural values
Cultural Value United States Elsewhere Relationshi
p to others Individualism Collectivism Orientation
to time Precise time Loose Orientation to
youth/age Youthfulness Old age Level of
informality Informal Formal Equality of
sexes Relative equality Relative inequality
Source Ferraro, G. P. (1998). Cultural
Dimensions of International Business (3rd
Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice-Hall.
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Hispanic-Americans involvement in outdoor
recreation

• Influenced by values associated with family
  togetherness
• Compared to Anglos, Hispanics are more likely to
• Visit parks in the company of family groups
• Visit parks in larger groups
• De-emphasize privacy and quiet

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Recreation Style Differences at Lincoln National
Forest, New Mexico
Source Irwin, P. N., Gartner, W. C., Phelps,
C. C. (1990). Mexican-American/Anglo cultural
differences as recreation style determinants.
Leisure Sciences, 12(4), 335-348.
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Composition and Size of Group
Size adults kids Anglo-Americans 6.9 4.7 2.2
Mexican-Americans 12.8 7.6 5.2
Forest Service campsite capacity10
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Comparison of Important Setting Attributes
(Rankings)

• Anglo-Americans
• 1. Quiet
• 2. Privacy, water (tie)
• 3. Space between sites
• 4. Camping space

• Mexican-Americans
• 1. Toilets
• 2. Camping space
• 3. Water availability
• 4. Fire rings.
• 5. Fire wood, parking space, quiet (tie)

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John Muir 1838-1914
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How relevant are different outdoor recreation
activities to minority populations?
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Minority youth in the study felt golf was not
fun, was boring, uninteresting, lacked
excitement, and was not up-to-date compared
with the sports most teens currently enjoyed.
Source Gobster, P. H. (1998). Explanations for
minority underparticipation in outdoor
recreation A look at golf. Journal of Park and
Recreation Administration, 16, 46-64.
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Discrimination

• Non-use of park, recreation, and tourism
  resources may be limited by past and present
  exclusion and hostility (actual or perceived)
  carried out by other visitors and/or employees
• African-Americans, in particular, have a
  heightened concern for safety that goes back
  generations

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Residential segregation/white and black spaces
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Institutional Discrimination
From Contested Waters (Witlse, 2007)
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GOLF Gentlemen only, ladies forbidden
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Thomas Moran The Mount of the Holy Cross, 1875
White wilderness frame
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White nature frame
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Black wilderness/ nature frame
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Parks and open spaces must be

• Affordable and close to home
• Safe and welcoming
• Culturally relevant

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Lavell Merritt Ph.D. Student at Texas AM
David Vela Director of Southeast Region
J. T. Reynolds Superintendent Death Valley
National Park
Robert Stanton Former Director Faculty Fellow,
Texas AM
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Final ThoughtWill there be a continuing mandate
for protecting our natural and cultural heritage?

• As the population changes, it will become
  imperative to ensure that parks are relevant to a
  broad range of constituents
• Groups assign different (and often conflicting)
  meaning to parks
• Park and resource managers and advocates will
  experience growing pains

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Questions?
Contact information David Scott Dept. of
Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences Texas AM
University College Station, TX
77843-2261 979-845-5334 dscott_at_tamu.edu http//www
.rpts.tamu.edu/faculty/dscott.shtml