Subcultures and outdoor pursuits: an interpretive study of therapeutic outdoor recreation programmes for youth-at-risk

Abstract

This is an interpretive study of therapeutic outdoor recreation programmes for youth-at risk. To provide a context for the study, the socio-historical development of therapeutic, outdoor recreation is traced through four themes: the changing nature of youth; the change in treatment of young offenders; the increasing use of outdoor recreation in the prevention and treatment of youth-at-risk; and the forms of voluntary and government provision on therapeutic outdoor recreation programmes for youth-at-risk. Data were collected from three contemporary therapeutic outdoor recreation programmes using participant observation and intensive interviews.

Young people who were participants in these therapeutic outdoor recreation programmes were members of youth-at-risk subcultures. They brought to these programmes the norms and expectations of their subcultures. The behaviours of young people were most likely to change in those outdoor recreation programmes in which programme leaders were able to form a temporary expedition subculture. The thesis identifies the strategies used be leaders to encourage the formation of an expedition subculture which temporarily transcends the youth-at-risk subculture.