Exploring Early Twenty-First Century Developed Forest Camping Experiences and Meanings

Abstract

This study examines experiences and associated meanings of 38 family groups participating in developed camping. The analysis is guided by discursive social psychology in which expressed meanings reflect interpretive frames campers use to explain experiences. Key elements of camping experience include nature, social interaction, and comfort/convenience. The most common associated meanings are restoration, family functioning, experiencing nature, special places, self-identity, social interaction, and children's learning. Comparing these experiences and meanings to findings from the 1960s and 1970s suggests that meanings associated with experiencing nature, social interaction, and family have evolved to reflect their greater discursive importance in contemporary society.