Attitudes toward national parks, the environment, and leisure: A comparison between Chinese in Canada and Anglo-Canadians (Alberta).
详细信息
文摘
Canada's population has become increasingly diversified. The People's Republic of China was the leading country of birth among individuals who immigrated to Canada in the 1990s, and Edmonton, Alberta's capital, has the fifth largest Chinese population in the country. Ethnic and racial diversity has important implications for evolving public policy involving the provision of leisure/recreation services, resource and land management, and environmental justice. Existing research has found various degrees of differences between majority and minority groups in leisure/recreation preference and behavior, and environmental concern. However, few studies involving Chinese immigrants and leisure/recreation have been conducted. The aim of this study was to examine the similarities and differences in attitudes toward national parks, the environment, and leisure between two ethnic groups---Chinese in Canada and Anglo-Canadians. Fourteen hypotheses were tested based on the data that were collected from a stratified systematic sample of 178 Chinese and 160 Anglo-Canadians who resided in Edmonton, Canada. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, multivariate analysis of covariance, univariate analysis of covariance, and pairwise comparison. The results indicated that attitudes held by the Chinese toward the three areas were less positive overall than those held by Anglo-Canadians. Specifically, the Chinese, as compared to Anglo-Canadians, were less likely to support Parks Canada's policy of placing priority on the protection of ecological integrity, to endorse the non-market values of national parks and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP). Moreover, their attitudes toward leisure were not as positive as those held by Anglo-Canadians. However, they placed more emphasis on social-altruistic values and were more likely to consider motorized activities and consumptive activities to be appropriate within national parks. While acknowledging these differences, both groups exhibited similarities in biospheric values, and attitudes toward national parks as places for the protection of ecological integrity and as places for provision of leisure/recreation opportunities. They also shared commonalities in attitudes toward the appropriateness of sport/recreation facilities and visitor facilities within Canada's national parks. Ethnicity was a more important factor than acculturation in influencing Chinese participants' attitudes about the three areas. Implications and future research needs are also discussed.