Richard C. Knopf

A cross-cultural analysis of tourism and quality of life perceptions.

Models of sustainable tourism consider not only the aspects of the physical environment but also the dimensions of the social and cultural environment of destinations. During the past two decades a number of researchers have made the case that local residents must be involved in tourism development decisions if support for, and thereby sustainability of, the industry is to be maintained. Minority ethnic and racial groups, however, are often differentially influenced by tourism within a community. This study investigates the differences between Hispanic and Anglo residents with respect to their perceptions of tourism and quality of life framed with the context of ethnicity marginality theory.

Recreational Needs and Behavior in Natural Settings

Do humans require nature? The query has bounded for decades throughout the literature, seemingly without resolution.

In Search of the Primitive-Urban Continuum The Dimensional Structure of Outdoor Recreation Settings

A primitive-urban continuum has been a dominant feature of the psychological representation of large-scale environments and the basis of land classification systems for outdoor recreation planning. The ubiquity of the primitive-urban continuum is examined with respect to experiential (as opposed to perceptual) variation in outdoor recreation settings. A multidimensional scaling analysis of 42 rivers was conducted using reported recreation experiences as proximity measures. Two interpretable dimensions were revealed. Waterflow intensity (whitewater) and trip duration were more strongly associated with experiential variation across river settings than the primitive-urban continuum.

Generalizability of a Measure of Visitor Satisfaction with 0utdoor Recreation

A measure of visitor satisfaction with outdoor recreation is important for effective management. Cronbachs theory of generalizability was used to estimate the effects of time of measurement, item context, and item content on a recreation satisfaction measure, which was given to floaters on two rivers. The influences of item content, item context, and times were large, small, and none, respectively.

A story about storytelling: enhancement of community participation through catalytic storytelling

This article presents a new approach to stimulate conversations among community members to mobilize resources and improve community well-being. The approach emerged during an asset mapping study in a school district in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona when the researchers realized that they could not on their own capture the broad range of diversity within a community. The approach, which the authors later came to call catalytic storytelling, is interpreted in light of asset-based community development, appreciative inquiry, and community storytelling traditions. It requires the researcher to adopt an ambiguous position as insider–outsider, which was described by Dwyer and Buckle in 2009. Furthermore, catalytic storytelling purports that reports written by community development researchers and community organizers should pose key questions to community members in addition to summarizing main stories derived from community conversations.

Captivating Lifelong Learners in the Third Age Lessons Learned From a University-Based Institute

The prevalence of learning providers for third agers continues to expand alongside the growth of the older adult population, yet there remains little empirical evidence on what types of learning experiences are most desired by lifelong learners. This article examines the effects that different learning topics have on attendance at classes hosted by a university-based lifelong learning institute, asking, Which learning topics draw enrollment in a lifelong learning program? Registration data were collected from 7,332 attendees of 290 learning experiences held over four semesters; class topics were coded and analyzed using a multivariate regression procedure. Results indicate that lifelong learners are more interested in classes concerning global issues, religion/philosophy, and social issues focusing on particular groups and individuals. The results remain significant after accounting for structural arrangements such as class time, day of the week, number of sessions, and location. Implications for enhancing lifelong learning experiences and programs are discussed.

Empowering Latino Parents to Transform the Education of Their Children

This article emphasizes the role of parental involvement in the college preparation of Latino elementary and secondary school students. Although literature shows that education is highly valued in Latino families, actual college enrollment rates for Latino youth are below average. This has been attributed to barriers including lack of financial resources, problems in communication with schools, and low familiarity with the college planning process. The American Dream Academy is a university outreach program that is designed to help Latino families overcome these barriers. We conducted a qualitative analysis of speeches that were prepared and delivered by parents at graduation ceremonies of the program from 2007 to 2009. Our analysis revealed six themes: facing challenges, envisioning success, understanding the school system, taking ownership, community raising a child, and creating a supportive home environment. The findings enrich existing literature and help understand the complex systems that are at play with parental involvement in Latino families.

(Re)framing sustainable development: an ecological posture and Praxis

Abstract Sustainable development (SD) has become a catchall phrase for addressing gross economic inequality, environmental degradation, and systemic marginalization and oppression. Like all concepts, we understand the meaning and act according to the conceptual metaphors that illuminate and articulate the term SD. The attention given to the technical aspects of SD far outweighs the attention given to the way the concept has been constructed and organized as theory and practice are built. In this article, we examine the conceptual metaphors that form the foundation for SD theory and practice. We suggest that these conceptual metaphors reveal problematic understandings and assumptions. Through a conceptualization of paradigm, we describe the constituent elements as frame, worldview, and posture. We further suggest that the normative ethics found in the ecological paradigm provide a comparably superior foundation for the theory and practice of SD.

Tourism visioning: implementing a primary stakeholder approach.

Following a discussion on the relationship between participatory planning, collaboration, and tourism visioning, this article describes the development of a tourism-specific visioning process. A case study of a facilitated tourism visioning process in the city of Surprise, Arizona, USA is presented. This case study provides an example of the potential power of the visioning process for a destination community developing a tourism vision to guide collaborative tourism planning. Insights from three stakeholder workshops are discussed in two contexts: (1) long-term recommendations of what is needed for implementing a successful tourism visioning process and development of a community tourism plan, and (2) a manageable set of short-term �successes� that could be accomplished by stakeholders collaborating to establish a tourism vision.

Improving the Quality of Life in a City of Phoenix, Arizona Neighborhood Through Collaborative Investment

In 2005, the FireStar Fund was established as a collaborative venture between the Valley of the Sun United Way, Stardust Foundation, United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, City of Phoenix Fire Department, City of Phoenix Mayor’s Office and other community partners. This fund committed