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- Info
Behavioral conventions in higher density, day use wildland/urban recreation settings: A preliminary case study
| Author: |
Heywood, J.L. |
| Date: |
1993 |
| Periodical: |
Journal of Leisure Research |
| Abstract: |
This paper presents a study of users of a wildland/urban interface recreation setting in southern California. The area is a designated Forest Service picnic ground located on a perennial stream draining the southeast slopes of the Sill, Gabriel Mountains. At busy times use of the picnic ground may appear chaotic as users crowd into the stream and riparian zone to picnic and relax in the shade and wade and splash in the stream. The problem is to determine if there is some underlying basis that orders the variety of behaviors one observes. The concept of social norms provides one basis, but norms have been difficult to measure in higher density wildland settings. In higher density settings users may have multiple expectations about appropriate behaviors with no particular expectation representing a dominant value. The concept of conventions is based on users finding solutions to coordination problems where the members of a population are agents in a recurrent situation where some fraction of everyone prefers and expects some fraction of everyone else to prefer and expect some fraction of everyone to conform to a regularity in behavior. Users were asked if it bothered them if other users walked into or through their picnic site. Those who were bothered were shown eleven pen and ink sketches depicting various numbers of persons, persons with radios and persons with dogs who would enter their site during their current visit. Respondents were asked to indicate how many times they would find it acceptable for the group depicted to enter their site. Multiple expectations were found that define several conventions. Differences were also found between those who completed English language and Spanish language questionnaires. Conventions can be useful in characterizing users' multiple expectations about use conditions, and determining whether sufficient agreement exists to formulate a management objective. |
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