Recreation Specialization: Re-conceptualization from a Social Worlds Perspective

TLDR

Recreation specialization is re‑conceptualized as a process where recreation social worlds and subworlds segment and intersect into new subworlds, forming an ordered continuum from least to most specialized, though further conceptual and empirical work is needed. The paper develops a theory of recreation specialization from a social worlds perspective and offers empirical tests, establishing a starting point for focused research in this area. The authors propose eight propositions linking specialization to social world elements and prior work, and empirically test selected propositions. Empirical tests of group differences in resource dependency, mediated interaction, and importance of activity‑specific and non‑activity‑specific elements strongly supported three of the proposed propositions.

Abstract

This paper initiated development of a theory of recreation specialization from a social worlds perspective and provided empirical testing for some of the stated propositions. Recreation specialization was re-conceptualized as 1) a process by which recreation social worlds and subworlds segment and intersect into new recreation subworlds and 2) the subsequent ordered arrangement of these subworlds and their members along a continuum. At one end of the continuum is the least specialized subworld and its members and at the other end is the most specialized subworld and its members. A series of eight propositions which linked specialization with elements of social worlds and the previous work of Bryan (1977) were stated. Empirical hypothesis tests regarding group differences in resource dependency, level of mediated interaction and importance attached to activity-specific and non activity-specific elements of the recreation experience provided strong support for three of the propositions of the conceptual framework. Although initial efforts at theory development were supported, much conceptual and empirical work remains. This paper provides a starting point for a focused line of recreation specialization research.