Theoretical Perspectives of Ethnicity and Outdoor Recreation: A Review and Synthesis of African-American and European-American Participation

For over three decades, research has shown differences in recreation participation by ethnic group membership, particularly for African Americans and European Americans. This paper is the first of a two-part publication series that examines black/white recreation. In this first part, the literature and empirical findings on black/white leisure participation are reviewed. The implications of generalizing region-specific theories and findings of black/white participation to populations in various parts of the country are discussed. Finally, implications for forest managers and future research needs are presented.