Diversity, differences, and leisure services - promoting acceptance of diversity in park and recreation programs - Research Update

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 1997 by Karla A. Henderson

A group of individuals in North Carolina recently formed a new division in our state professional organization called the Culturally Diverse Programs Division. One of their goals is to promote culturally diverse programs; they adopted the motto, "A difference makes a difference only when it makes a difference." This statement, I believe, is at the crux of understanding issues of diversity and leisure services delivery.

Diversity is the buzzword of the 1990s. We are bombarded with statistics about differences and changing demographic patterns. For example, we know that by the year 2000, one-third of the United States' population will be people of color. We know that one-half of the children raised in this country will be in single-parent homes during some part of their developmental years. The highest number of individuals over 100 years of age is currently living. What do these statistics mean to recreation providers regarding programming in the coming years?

Diversity exists in numerous forms. This diversity refers to more than just cultural differences typically related to racial and ethnic diversity. The global definition emerging is that diversity relates to any group that has been disenfranchised, underrepresented, underserved or discriminated against in the past simply because it possesses stereotypical characteristics.

During the past five years, a number of "Research Update" authors have addressed the topic of diversity. I would like to summarize some of the findings about diverse groups, what they have in common, and what the next steps ought to be in recreation programming and management with diverse populations. Diversity among staff is also important, but cannot be addressed in this short article.

Research Has Only Just Begun

Almost all the authors summarizing data about topics such as diversity education (Holland, 1997; Hollister and Hodgson, 1996), people with disabilities (Bedini, 1993; Heyne and Green, 1994; Lord, 1997; Smith, 1993), older adults (Boyd and Tedrick, 1992; Seigenthaler, 1996), women (Henderson and Winn, 1996, Henderson and Samdahl, 1995; Roberts, 1995), homelessness (Kuntsler, 1993; Pearce, 1995), high-risk youth (Suren and Stiefvater (1995), homosexuality (Grossman, 1993), unemployment (Raymond, 1992), and race and culture (Dwyer and Gobster, 1992) have remarked how little we know about diversity in the field of recreation, parks and leisure services.

Hollister and Hodgson (1996) suggested that most staff members are overwhelmed by diversity. Further, it is easier to acknowledge diversity exists than to do something about it. The days of mere awareness are over; now is the time for action. Not knowing all there is to know about a topic does not mean we can ignore it. Enough is being learned about various aspects of diversity that programmers can apply some of the findings to their programming immediately.

Professionals, however, must also be aware of some of the issues that arise in using this research and in examining their own bias and stereotypes about people with whom they do not regularly associate.

Similarities and Differences

Understanding differences is an important aspect to consider when discussing diversity. The idea of difference often is complicated. Differences may exist, for example, between men and women and their leisure involvement, but greater differences may also exist among women regarding age, class, ethnicity, and other characteristics. Some women and men may share more similarities than some women share with other women. In addition, although all of us have many group characteristics (gender, race, class, physical or mental disability, geography, religion), frequently as much difference exists among groups as between them.

Similarities cannot be ignored. Although most individuals have abandoned the idea that the United States is a melting pot with all of us sharing similar characteristics and values, recreation programmers must also keep in mind some basic needs and interests that may apply to all people. Generally, all individuals may want the same things in their recreation experiences, such as choice, enjoyment, and social interaction, but they may want to access those outcomes in different ways. Smith (1993), for example, found few differences between athletes with disabilities and those without disabilities. Both athletes wanted choices about the kind of program in which they participated. Dwyer and Gobster (1992) found group variations regarding the outdoor recreation involvement of ethnic groups. For example, they found that larger groups of Hispanic participants than European Americans tended to use parks. The authors cautioned, however, to be aware of the similarities and differences within groups. A group may tend to perform one activity, but it does not mean that all group members will want to participate in that activity. Because an ethnic group prefers one kind of activity in Chicago does not mean that ethnic group will prefer the same thing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dwyer and Gobster also noted that recreation involvement by a diverse group may be a function of what exists, not necessarily what a group would actually prefer if additional choices were available.