Who hates whom in the great outdoors: The impact of recreational specialization and technologies of play

Abstract

Abstract We offer the hypotheses that social relationships in outdoor recreation settings are heavily influenced by the recreational technologies; that recreationists participate in clusters of technologically similar recreations; that users of more physically obtrusive technologies are resented by users of less obtrusive technologies, but that the latter are not resented by the former. To test these hypotheses data were presented from questionnaires completed by recreation visitors to Corps of Engineers reservoirs in Oregon. Relatively distinct technologically defined clusters of recreational activities were found. Resenting relationships between users of different technologies were found, but resentments were directed toward users of both highly and less obtrusive technologies. It also appeared, contrary to hypothesis, that users of more obtrusive technologies evaluated physical obtrusiveness positively. It was also found that resentments were directed between, rather than within, clusters, and that recreationists seemed immunized to the obtrusiveness of other recreations within their own principal cluster.