Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Volunteering in Scotland · 2019. 6. 9. · Supervisors:...
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RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015 www.PosterPresentations.com Increased reliance on Outdoor Volunteering for resource conservation and outdoor recreation infrastructure upkeep has become necessary in Scottish protected natural areas and beyond. By learning about these volunteers through a qualitative methodology study, research findings have the potential to inform: recruitment strategies of protected area managers, conservation and recreation planning strategies, wider ‘social prescribing’ initiatives, how best to use ‘place’ and landscape in related recruitment and advertising, political strategising around the lack of ‘ring- fenced’ natural area funding as well as adding to knowledge gaps in all these areas. 1. Introduction 2. Research Statement/Questions 4. Three Question Areas The approach for this project is Constructivist Grounded Theory (GT), an inductive methodology which advocates the development of new theories from research grounded in the data gathered. Constructivism is a research paradigm that ontologically (through relativism) denies the existence of an objective reality and epistemologically emphasises the subjective interrelationship between the researcher and participant and the co-construction of meaning. Constructivist GT goes through several phases in search of explanations, theories and the possible formation of models of a phenomena (see process below). Grounded Theory Process Method Purposive sampling of volunteers of different classes: ‘casual’ volunteers, ‘friends-of’ groups, corporate volunteers and volunteer park rangers as well as other park stakeholders. Semi-structured, in-field interviews incorporating ethnographic ‘life-history’, motivation, place attachment and the understanding/perception of landscape questions are ulilised. 5. Choice of Scottish Regional Parks for study The three regional parks (see locations on map presented below) follow a ‘multi-use’ protected area model. This includes a ‘wild’ area worthy of conservation as well as: agriculture, culturally important sites, recreation areas, businesses and residential communities). Location of Regional Parks Easy accessibility is paramount in the designation of regional parks as all are located in Scotland's’ heavily populated ‘central belt’, offering ease of access to these protected natural areas. Regional park management features multi-stakeholder involvement. ‘What is the relationship between motivation and place attachment for volunteers and other stakeholders in Scottish Regional Parks and how do perceptions of landscape affect their attachments to these natural landscapes?’ Specifically: 1) What factors motivate volunteering in the regional park landscape? 2) To what extent does attachment to place shape volunteer engagement with protected natural areas? 3) How do cultural representations of Scottish landscapes affect volunteer perceptions and attachment to Scottish Regional Parks? Research Design Supervisors: Dr Kathy Velander, Dr Kate Botterill, Jay MacKinnon Ashley Napier Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Volunteering in Scotland 1. Motivation The widely used quantitative Recreation Experience Preference scales of motivations are set out by Driver (1983) (2) and inform question prompts in the motivation section of the interviews. 2. Place Attachment Place attachment has two main components; place identity and place dependence. Question prompts stem from the quantitative statement sets initially formulated by Williams & Roggenbuck (1989) (3). 3. Understanding/Perception of Landscape Four aspects of landscape ‘place’ explored: Scenic/Aesthetic , Activity/Goal, Cultural/Symbolic and Individual/Expressive (Farnum.,et al. (2005)) (4) and two ‘hedonistic’ concepts of landscape are: ‘Arcadian’ - reflecting harmony between man and nature and ‘Wilderness’ a pristine natural landscape, ‘untrammelled by man’ (Buijs.,et al. 2006)) (5). Initial findings have highlighted; Social aspects, learning new skills, nature interaction, physical activity, exercise, scenery, education, working in natural settings, variety of work, improved mental health and working in fresh air as motivating factors for outdoor volunteering. Of particular note is how strongly social aspects of volunteering has emerged as a motivation for this activity. When the research is concluded, it is likely that this category alone will have many sub- categories. References (1) Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative research. SagePublications Ltd, London. (2) Driver, B. L. (1983). Master list of items for recreation experience preference scales and domains. USDA For. Serv. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ft. Collins, Colo. Unpubl. doc. (3) Williams, D. R., & Roggenbuck, J. W. (1989, October). Measuring Place Attachment: Some Preliminary Results. In NRPA Symposium on Leisure Research, San Antonio, TX (Vol. 9). (4) Farnum, J., Hall, T., & Kruger, L. E. P. D. (2005). Sense of place in natural resource recreation and tourism: an evaluation and assessment of research findings. U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station (5) Buijs, Arjen E., Bas Pedroli, and Yves Luginbühl. "From hiking through farmland to farming in a leisure landscape: changing social perceptions of the European landscape." Landscape Ecology 21.3 (2006): 375-389. 3. Methodology/Methods Research Question Data Initial Coding Focused Coding Categories Categories Categories Properties Properties Properties Comparative Analysis, Memo Writing, Theoretical Sampling, Saturating Theoretical- Categories Relationships (After Charmaz, 2006 (1)) Interviews(volunteers/stakeholders) Motivation Place attachment Landscape Understanding Questions Grounded Theory Methodology Theoretical Sampling Resulting in: Explanations, Theories, Models tying together emergent themes Outcome: Inform Protected Area Management Outcome: Fill Gaps in Understanding Background Literature Research Questions Real World Issues: Greater recreational use of Natural Areas, Environmental Threat, Less Funding Theoretical Statements Pentland Hills Regional Park (Photo Credit: Author) Lomond Hills Regional Park ‘multiple use’ in evidence (Photo Credit: Author) 6. Preliminary Findings Questions/Background Methods/Methodology Outcomes
Transcript of Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Volunteering in Scotland · 2019. 6. 9. · Supervisors:...
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
www.PosterPresentations.com
Increased reliance on Outdoor Volunteering for resource conservation and outdoor recreation infrastructure upkeep has become necessary in Scottish protected natural areas and beyond. By learning about these volunteers through a qualitative methodology study, research findings have the potential to inform: recruitment strategies of protected area managers, conservation and recreation planning strategies, wider ‘social prescribing’ initiatives, how best to use ‘place’ and landscape in related recruitment and advertising, political strategising around the lack of ‘ring-fenced’ natural area funding as well as adding to knowledge gaps in all these areas.
1. Introduction 2. Research Statement/Questions
4. Three Question Areas
The approach for this project is Constructivist Grounded Theory (GT), an inductive methodology which advocates the development of new theories from research grounded in the data gathered.Constructivism is a research paradigm that ontologically (through relativism) denies the existence of an objective reality and epistemologically emphasises the subjective interrelationship between the researcher and participant and the co-construction of meaning. Constructivist GT goes through several phases in search of explanations, theories and the possible formation of models of a phenomena (see process below).
Grounded Theory Process
MethodPurposive sampling of volunteers of different classes: ‘casual’ volunteers, ‘friends-of’ groups, corporate volunteers and volunteer park rangers as well as other park stakeholders.Semi-structured, in-field interviews incorporating ethnographic ‘life-history’, motivation, place attachment and the understanding/perception of landscape questions are ulilised.
5. Choice of Scottish Regional Parks for studyThe three regional parks (see locations on map presented below) follow a ‘multi-use’ protected area model. This includes a ‘wild’ area worthy of conservation as well as: agriculture, culturally important sites, recreation areas, businesses and residential communities).
Location of Regional Parks
Easy accessibility is paramount in the designation of regional parks as all are located in Scotland's’ heavily populated ‘central belt’, offering ease of access to these protected natural areas.Regional park management features multi-stakeholder involvement.
‘What is the relationship between motivation and place attachment for volunteers and other stakeholders in Scottish Regional Parks and how do perceptions of landscape affect their attachments to these natural landscapes?’ Specifically:
1) What factors motivate volunteering in the regional park landscape?
2) To what extent does attachment to place shape volunteer engagement with protected natural areas?
3) How do cultural representations of Scottish landscapes affect volunteer perceptions and attachment to Scottish Regional Parks?
Research Design
Supervisors: Dr Kathy Velander, Dr Kate Botterill, Jay MacKinnon
Ashley Napier
Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Volunteering in Scotland
1. MotivationThe widely used quantitative Recreation Experience Preference scales of motivations are set out by Driver (1983) (2) and inform question prompts in the motivation section of the interviews.
2. Place AttachmentPlace attachment has two main components; place identity and place dependence. Question prompts stem from the quantitative statement sets initially formulated by Williams & Roggenbuck (1989) (3).
3. Understanding/Perception of LandscapeFour aspects of landscape ‘place’ explored: Scenic/Aesthetic , Activity/Goal, Cultural/Symbolic and Individual/Expressive (Farnum.,et al. (2005)) (4) and two ‘hedonistic’ concepts of landscape are: ‘Arcadian’ - reflecting harmony between man and nature and ‘Wilderness’ a pristine natural landscape, ‘untrammelled by man’ (Buijs.,et al. 2006)) (5).
Initial findings have highlighted; Social aspects, learning new skills, nature interaction, physical activity, exercise, scenery, education, working in natural settings, variety of work, improved mental health and working in fresh air as motivating factors for outdoor volunteering.
Of particular note is how strongly social aspects of volunteering has emerged as a motivation for this activity. When the research is concluded, it is likely that this category alone will have many sub-categories.
References(1) Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative research. SagePublications Ltd, London.
(2) Driver, B. L. (1983). Master list of items for recreation experience preference scales and domains. USDA For. Serv. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ft. Collins, Colo. Unpubl. doc.
(3) Williams, D. R., & Roggenbuck, J. W. (1989, October). Measuring Place Attachment: Some Preliminary Results. In NRPA Symposium on Leisure Research, San Antonio, TX (Vol. 9).
(4) Farnum, J., Hall, T., & Kruger, L. E. P. D. (2005). Sense of place in natural resource recreation and tourism: an evaluation and assessment of research findings. U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
(5) Buijs,ArjenE.,BasPedroli,andYvesLuginbühl."Fromhikingthroughfarmlandtofarminginaleisurelandscape:changingsocialperceptionsoftheEuropeanlandscape."LandscapeEcology21.3(2006):375-389.
3. Methodology/Methods
Research Question
Data Initial Coding
Focused Coding
CategoriesCategories CategoriesPropertiesProperties
Properties
Comparative Analysis,Memo Writing,
Theoretical Sampling,Saturating Theoretical-
Categories
Relationships
(After Charmaz, 2006 (1))
Interviews(volunteers/stakeholders)
Motivation Place attachment Landscape Understanding
Questions
Grounded Theory Methodology
Theoretical Sampling
Resulting in:Explanations, Theories, Models tying together
emergent themes
Outcome: Inform Protected Area Management
Outcome: Fill Gaps in
Understanding
Background Literature
Research Questions
Real World Issues: Greater recreational use
of Natural Areas, Environmental Threat,
Less Funding
Theoretical Statements
Pentland Hills Regional Park (Photo Credit: Author)
Lomond Hills Regional Park ‘multiple use’ in evidence (Photo Credit: Author)
6. Preliminary Findings
Questions/Background Methods/Methodology
Outcomes
