Omnivority and eclectism in outdoor sports participation, an indicator of environmental awareness?
Résumé
Social determinism in an individual’s choice of sport is being questioned as it appears that more and more activities are participated in by individuals of various sociodemographic backgrounds (Lefèvre et Ohl, 2012). Cultural omnivority is now the way to assert one’s social status through taste (Peterson, 2004). In the field of sport, higher social categories tend to practice more activities than lower social classes do (Lefèvre and Ohl, 2007). In the context of outdoor recreation, it is also interesting to look at, not only the number of activities, but also the type of activities. How eclectic are the participants? Do they mostly take part in outdoor sports, or in multiple types of sports?
It is important to explore this eclecticism, or non-eclecticism, as it could inform researchers about participants’ relationship to the natural environment. Does an increase in the number of outdoor practices, hence more time spent in the great outdoors, correlate to a better knowledge of the environment? Indeed, as recreationists growing presence in the wild is causing pressure on the environment, it is necessary to know their diversity and raise awareness among them.
To answer these questions, this talk will rely on an ongoing study on ski touring, snowshoeing, hiking and trail running led in the French Alps. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey (n=1,720, q=80). Amongst other topics, the survey questions the other activities respondents frequently take part in, modalities of practice and awareness of the environmental impact of their outdoor activities on wildlife