Gender and motivation for agri-tourism entrepreneurship

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the potentially gendered nature of motivations for agri-tourism entrepreneurship among Virginia farm families. Three elements of Chaippe and Flora's [Gendered elements of the alternative agriculture paradigm. Rural Sociology, 63(3), 372–393] modification of Beus and Dunlap's [Conventional versus alternative agriculture: The paradigmatic roots of the debate. Rural Sociology, 55(4), 590–616] alternative agricultural paradigm were tested as a possible theoretical framework for agri-tourism motivation. Chiappe and Flora [Gendered elements of the alternative agriculture paradigm. Rural Sociology, 63(3), 372–393] found that overall the alternative agriculture goals of men and women were similar: for example, both men and women were seeking independence, an opportunity to contribute to the community, and diversity of product. However, there were very different meanings and contexts attached to each of these ideas. For example, when discussing independence, women were more focused on “expense-reducing” rather than the “income-inducing” activities preferred by their male counterparts. Results of this study indicate that women were found to have higher motivation for agri-tourism entrepreneurship in all categories, but not consistently significant or in ways that necessarily supported the framework.