Progress 07/01/01 to 06/30/06
Outputs
Environmental socialization: the key to understanding the diversity of interests, uses and concerns for natural environments is completed with five years of research. Projects investigated why people do and do not develop interests in natural environments in terms of recreational and intellectual uses. Several studies were conducted. Some were narrowly focused on a specific social phenomenon while others were wholistic in nature, capturing the lived experiences of young adults from early childhood on.
Impacts
The major findings of the research were that: Access to Natural Environments: The ability during childhood to engage in unstructured/unsupervised play in natural and interstitial spaces. During middle childhood through adulthood access to and opportunities to explore larger areas and different and/or distant geographies must occur. Social Support: Children who live near woods often play there only because their parents perceive such activity as appropriate. After childhood, peers, camp counselors, teachers, park rangers, and professors play an increasingly important role in supporting, interpreting and guiding further opportunities. Development of Environmental Competencies: The ability to enjoy natural environments requires developing a range of largely unrecognized ancillary skills. Many of these are implicitly developed through repeated exposure to natural environments. Dealing with hot/cold/inclement weather, tolerance for insects and dirt, and
skills like wayfinding are rarely addressed in environmental programming. Accumulation of Environmental Experiences: Frequent and long-term participation in nature activities reinforces, renews and expands interests. People who are environmentally minded report many and varied experiences with wild places and conservation activities that may even monopolize their time. Environmental Identify Formation: Persons begin to view themselves as environmentally oriented with a robust set of environmental competencies, preferences, and values.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The year was spent doing an analysis of approximately 2,000 pages of transcriptions of life histories of avid wildland recreationists and conservationists. The data were conclusive on the importance of wildland play during middle childhood. This is not a new finding, but the data provided details, dimensions and locations that are not currently identified in the literature. Additionally, the data provides an initial description of the evolution of an individual during the teen years into early adulthood. Here vocational and recreational role models, the learning of new competencies, and the nature of these periods as times when questions of self-identity and future vocations are developmentally salient all come into play. New challenges and what is termed environmental invitations, expand interests into areas that are developmentally challenging.
Impacts
Frequent and sustained environmental experiences in childhood result in learning many cognitive, physical, and competencies. These learning experiences translate into later adult participation in wildland recreation and ecotourism activities. As the work progresses results provide educators, recreation programmers and even marketers a litany of strategies for recruiting, engaging, continuing, and expanding a tradition of interest in the outdoors and wild places. This work is important because it identifies socialization processes that are unrecognized but easily mimicked by practitioners.
Publications
- Bixler, R. D. & James, J. J. (2005). Environmental socialization: The critical peripherals? In Leal Filho, W.(ed) Handbook of Sustainability Research. Peter Lang Scientific Publishing, Frankfurt.
- James, J. J. & Bixler, R. D. (2005). Childrens meaning making from their participation in a nonformal environmental learning program. National Association for Interpretation Workshop, Mobile AL, November 8-12.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Research on swimming competency and its relationship to preference for participation in water-based wildland recreation activities such whitewater paddles sports continued. A study was conducted of the perception of recreationists of their own swimming competencies and what they believe represents competency in the water. Results suggest that people with limited or no swimming competencies perceive themselves as swimmers. Appeals to learn how to swim would probably go unheeded by this group. The results tended to confirm differences in learning to swim in pools vs. natural bodies of water found in earlier work. Research continued using a biographical database of competent and involved wildland recreationists and employees of natural resource agencies. Major environmental competencies were identified. Literature searches were conducted to better understand each of these competencies. Work continues defining these skills. A research project examining knowledge and
attitudes of high school students toward a range of insects and invertebrates was completed. The study also examined where these attitudes came from. Preliminary analysis indicates that informal and nonformal experiences (outdoor play, wildland recreation, summer camps) were more important than school experiences. This study reinforces the need for meaningful informal experiences in stimulating science literacy. A literature review, consisting of findings from research for this project and other work, was compiled for the Handbook of Sustainability Research, edited by Walter Leal Filho. The book will become one of the products for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).
Impacts
Frequent and sustained environmental experiences in childhood result in learning many cognitive and physical competencies. These learning experiences translate into later adult participation in wildland recreation and ecotourism activities. As part of the Environmental Socialization (ES) project, a recent study indicates that informal play, participation in wildland recreation and summer camps influence biological literacy. A study of SC high school students indicated that those who played outdoors, went to camp and participated in wildland recreation had a more realistic understanding and appreciation of insects. Research in 2004 expanded previous understanding of swimming as a support skill for water activities. Previous ES work demonstrated that swimming competencies in natural bodies of water was important in developing a preference for water sports. A current study documents little understanding of what constitutes swimming competency among recreationists. Many
non-swimmers perceive themselves as swimmers, which constrains interest in learning to swim. Environmental Socialization research continues to provide a complex conceptual framework for understanding how to introduce children and youth to wildland recreation and conservation issues in an effective manner that promotes environmental sustainability, is educationally effective, and promotes soft footprint economic activity in natural environments around South Carolina. This work is important because it identifies socialization processes that are unrecognized but easily mimicked by educators.
Publications
- Bixler, R. D. (2005). Environmental Socialization: The Critical Peripherals? In (Ed. W. L. Filho) Handbook of Sustainability Research (In Press).
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
During this period a variety of projects as part of the Environmental Socialization Project have been started, continued or finished. We continue to conduct analysis of three large sets of data that are proving insightful. Currently we are collecting life history data from avid wildland recreationists and conservationists. We are also beginning a study of folk definitions/meanings of "swimming competency." This topic emerged as a result of the life history work mentioned above. This work should help in constructing more valid self-report survey dealing with swimming and implementing interventions designed to increase demand for swimming opportunities in natural bodies of water. Other work in progress investigates whether people select a zone or region within a park to recreate because of an aversion to other zones within the same park. Current thinking has been to look at zones in parks as opportunity zones. This may not be entirely correct. Other work has begun to
understand knowledge and preferences of insects and other invertebrates of secondary school students. This work will identify and describe folk taxonomies and preference (positive and averse) for different types of invertebrates. Additionally the study will evaluate how experiences in and out of school are related to preferences and knowledge of insects/invertebrates. An additional project, using ethnographic strategies,is tracking fourth and fifth graders as they prepare for and then attend a residential environmental education program, along with post-experience experiences. The project is novel in that it uses the theoretical perspectives of Vygotsky (1986) to examine informal social influences as part of enhancing/detracting from learning. As a whole, these studies examine the informal and formal experiences that children, youth and adults have with natural environments and help explain why some people grow up to embrace outdoor resource-dependent recreation, ecotourism
activities, and conservation behaviors that lead to environmental sustainable behaviors while other people do not.
Impacts
Today, children and youth have less access to rural and wild areas as they grow up. Frequent and sometimes sustained environmental experiences during childhood result in learning of a range of cognitive and physical competencies. These learning experiences translate into later adult participation in wildland recreation and ecotourism activities. Additionally, there is a relationship between participation in appreciative/consumptive outdoor activities and participation in conservation behaviors that are associated with environmental sustainability. One finding from this year's work is that while natural bodies of water are visually appealing, they are not necessarily attractive as places to swim. This research suggests the need for children and youth to be exposed not just to swimming but swimming in different types of water if there is any chance that this group will later independently involved in activities in lakes/rivers. As a whole, the Environmental
Socialization Project continues to provide an complex conceptual framework for understanding how to introduce children and youth to wildland recreation and conservation issues in an effective manner that promotes environmental sustainability, is educationally effective, and promotes soft footprint economic activity in natural environments around South Carolina. This work is important because it identifies socialization processes that are largely unrecognized but easily mimicked by educators. What was learned, often without awareness, through childhood play and exploration of wild places must now be explicitly taught.
Publications
- Bixler R. D. (2003). Segmenting audiences and positioning conservation interventions. Human Ecology Review, 10, 2, 154-155.
- Bixler, R. D. & Powell, G. (2003). Sensitivity to disgust and perceptions of natural bodies of water and watercraft activities. Psychological Reports, 93, 73-74.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Life history interviews continue to be conducted with a diverse group of outdoor recreationists and conservationists. To date, 40 interviews have been completed and coded with approximately 12 more interviews to complete. The next stage of the study is to repeat the same type of interviews with a smaller group of individuals who indicate no interest in outdoor recreation or conservation. This group will serve as a contrast group to help identify which of the life experiences identified in the first part of the study are formative and differentiating experiences. Accompanying the qualitative life history interviews is a quantitative study using survey methods that seeks to test statistically, relationships tentatively identified from the interviews. The 7-page questionnaire measures many of the experiences identified in the interviews that are thought to be interrelated. The questionnaire has been administered to approximately 600 young adults. Data analysis will begin
this summer.
Impacts
The project has identified a complex socialization process that begins in childhood, continues through adolescents and takes final form in young adults as they begin to think of themselves as outdoor persons or conservationists. The common theme throughout the environmental socialization process is the presence of a supportive social group. For instance, childhood play outdoors is a function of parent or friend providing an opportunity or invitation. Preliminary results suggest that the creation of outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists is an involved process that cannot be easily replaced with a marketing program. Marketing can play a role in reinvigorating existing interests. Looking at the data from a programming perspective, there is much evidence that outdoor programming with children and youth must focus not only on primary skill development but a range of attitudes and ancillary skills if the person is to develop competencies that allow them to participate on
their own when they become young adults.
Publications
- Bixler, R. D., Floyd, M. F. & Hammitt, W. R. (2002). Environmental socialization: Quantitative tests of the childhood play hypothesis. Environment and Behavior. 34, 795-818.
- Hammitt, W. E. & Bixler, R. D. (2002). Habitat preference in urban parks for recreation privacy experiences. In: Abstracts from the 2002 Leisure Research Symposium, National Recreation and Park Association, Congress for Recreation and Parks, Tampa, Florida October 16-19.
- Bixler, R. D. & Hammitt, W. E. (2002). From attraction to avoidance: On being in wildland environments. Presented at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Mangement, June 2-5, Bloomington, IN. p. 139
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
The project is proceeding on schedule. Analysis has been completed of data sets that included measures of childhood play experiences in natural and built/indoor environments. Results indicate that outdoor play during childhood is a powerful socializing force that shapes later adult preferences for wildland recreation and occupations. Work has begun on autobiographical interviews with dozens of young adults (18 to 35) who are avid outdoor recreationists or conservationists. A contrast group of disinterested individuals will also be sought.
Impacts
Our current understanding of childhood experiences reinforces the need to provide nonformal unstructured play experiences in wild and semi-wild environments for children. Respondents reporting greater frequencies of play in natural environments during childhood were less likely to prefer indoor activities and reported a greater preference for outdoor experiences/activities/landscapes. They were also more likely to find outdoor careers more attractive. Positive impacts in developing preferences for wild and semi-wild environments may also acrue by changing home landscaping practices and school play environments.
Publications
- Bixler, R. D. (2001). Why we must 'preach to the choir'. Legacy, 12(6).
- Bixler, R. D., Floyd, M. F. & Hammitt, W. E. (2003, In press). Environmental Socialization: Quantitative test of the childhood play hypothesis. Environment and Behavior.
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