Abstract
Research on place attachment suggests that place identity and place dependence differ between recreationists with varying levels of specialization, recreating in different settings and with different resource proximities to their home. To further explore this relationship, we compared place attachment and recreation specialization of whitewater boaters in four different river settings. Data were collected on three rivers in the US and one in Austria. Place attachment was measured using four place identity and four place dependence items. Recreation specialization was treated as a multivariate construct consisting of the three dimensions; behavior, skill, and enduring involvement. The results of a cluster analysis revealed three specialization clusters. Two ANOVAs were performed by using place dependence and place identity as dependent variables and specialization clusters and the sampling rivers as independent variables. Place identity was not expressed differently between rivers but differed in specialization clusters. Place dependence was different between rivers but not between specialization clusters. Findings suggest that place attachment dimensions vary in river setting and specialization levels. Management should take into account that boaters exhibit different place attachment based on the specialization level and resource proximity to their home.
Highlights
Managing river recreation use requires information about users and their emotional bonds toward these recreational resources (Bricker and Kerstetter 2000)
As there is a need to explore the relationship between recreation specialization and place attachment in different river settings (Bricker and Kerstetter 2000), we developed a conceptual framework to test whether the relationship between place attachment and recreation specialization is different or stable (Table 1)
North Umpqua river (NU) Boaters were on average older (M = 42.2) than boaters on the Upper Deschutes river (UD) (M = 36.6), on the Lower Youghiogheny river (LY) (M = 37.9) and on the Salza river (SA) (M = 38.2, F(3,1081) = 5.74, p < .001)
Summary
Managing river recreation use requires information about users and their emotional bonds toward these recreational resources (Bricker and Kerstetter 2000). Natural resource agencies have been encouraged to incorporate place attachment in their decision making on managing recreation uses. In the context of outdoor recreation, place attachment determines the functional and emotional-symbolic meanings people hold for a recreation setting (Schreyer et al 1981). Several researchers have used the concept of recreation specialization to explain why people are attached to an area and found a connection between both concepts (Bricker and Kerstetter 2000; Hammitt et al 2004; 2009; Oh et al 2012; Williams et al 1992). Recreation specialization is defined as a “continuum of behavior from the general to the particular, reflected by equipment and skills used in the sport and activity setting preferences” (Bryan 1977, p. 175) and is used for capturing diversity among outdoor recreationists participating in the same activity (Ditton et al 1992)
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