From Play in Nature, to Recreation then Vocation: A Developmental Model for Natural History-Oriented Environmental Professionals
Abstrak
Abstract:Much research on environmental socialization and significant life experiences indicates the primacy of childhood play in wild environments in shaping later adult interest in wild places. Less is known about what happens after childhood. This study investigated the remembered childhood, teen and early adult years of young adults (age 19 to 35) involved with natural history professions and/or highly committed hobbyists, identified as exceptional by environmental leaders. A comparison group of disinterested individuals nominated by the same environmental leaders or identified through a screening questionnaire provided an additional contrast. A four-stage descriptive model emerged from the qualitative data. Participants' natural history involvement evolved from unstructured nature play, to structured recreation and school activities, eventually to natural history dominant professional and serious leisure identities. Results suggest that accumulation of experiences, a complementary interplay of nature-based recreation and formal nature study, interaction with different types of mentors in each stage, evolving environmentally focused activities and exploration of perceptual, physical and intellectual aspects of the environment are key components.
Penulis (3)
J. J. James
R. Bixler
Carin E. Vadala
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2023
- Bahasa
- en
- Total Sitasi
- 71×
- Sumber Database
- Semantic Scholar
- DOI
- 10.1353/cye.2010.0030
- Akses
- Open Access ✓