January 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 30
type of focus in an effort to connect parks with information
about obesity, among other topic areas.
" Decision makers have to decide whether to keep police
officers or to close a park, " Beckner continues. " Having hard
facts helps with the decision making. "
" At the very minimum, " says Andrew Mowen, associate
professor in Pennsylvania State University's Department
of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, " the information gained from all this research is good ammunition
for advocating at the local level about the essential role that
parks and recreation plays in improving the quality of life
in communities. "
A Challenge to Conventional Wisdom
Within the confines of parks and recreation, research is still
fairly recent. " We've only had about 50 years of research in
parks and recreation, which is relatively new in terms of doing
research, " says Karla A. Henderson, professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at North Carolina State
University. " We've gone from just describing results to trying
to tie them to something more analytical and theoretical. "
For example, Henderson explains, research today seeks to
answer not only what the current situation is, but continues
one step further to answer such questions as " Why is it this
way? " and " What do we do about it? "
Additionally, organizations now use research to understand emerging social trends and their practical implications.
" Often, it provides scientific confirmation of what we intuitively know, " Mowen says. " However, research can uncover evidence that challenges conventional wisdom and
assumptions. "
Mowen cites a study in the mid-1990s for which he had
trouble securing funding: delving into the issue of corporate sponsorship in parks and recreation. " It's very controversial because, if the study is negative, they wouldn't want
research to thwart the sponsorships. "
Many agencies declined the opportunity to participate
out of fear of the consequences of negative findings. When
Mowen eventually found an agency to profile, the results were
more surprising than anyone expected: the public generally
supports corporate sponsorship. But it dislikes naming rights,
especially when a facility is already named. Overall, though,
attitudes toward sponsorship are positive. This attitude has
only improved over the years, according to a follow-up study.
The Meaning of Trends
Research turns up operational trends. For example, Beckner cites the reduction in staff at recreation facilities that
28
Parks & Recreation
| JANUARY 2013 | WWW.NRPA.ORG
have been offset by increases in contractors for instructional classes, such as aerobic exercises. While neither good nor
bad-just different-the approach has prompted changes in
management practices and the need to navigate the laws
governing the employment of contractors.
Each and every piece of research aids in creating a complete picture of parks and recreation. " If we consider ourselves
a profession, then we need a body of knowledge, " Henderson says. " The only way to get a body of knowledge is with
research and writing. " In turn, communities can now provide more effective services.
If we consider ourselves
a profession, then we
need a body of knowledge,
and the only way to get a
body of knowledge is with
research and writing.
-Karla A. Henderson,
North Carolina State University
Historically, research in the field of parks and recreation
has focused more on the public attitudes. Agencies tended
to emphasize studying user experiences and perceptions.
" If you went on a trip to go fishing and it rained the whole
week, but on the last day, it was nice and you caught a ton
of fish, you may remember that as a great week of fishing, "
Beckner says. " Whereas, if it was sunny the entire week but
you didn't catch anything, you may remember the experience as terrible. "
Contemporary research, on the other hand, focuses on
whether a person values a park, and it also provides the measure of such value, which can then contribute to the big picture. Mowen says researchers approach the field from a larger
perspective, such as the environmental benefits of preserving open space or youth programs contributing to the reduction of crime.
" If you take communities like New Orleans that have had
national disasters, social cohesion has come up [as a criterion] as far as how fast a community recovers from devastation, " Mowen says. " Neighborhood parks are a place where
people can reconvene and reconnect in times of a disaster. "
January 2013 - Parks & Recreation
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