Exploring the Cultural Construction of Gender in Active Outdoor Pursuits in New Zealand: A Phenomenological Perspective

Outdoor recreation and leisure research conducted in New Zealand suggests New Zealand females are still less involved in active outdoor pursuits than New Zealand males. However, the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of outdoor recreation participants that have been the main focus of leisure and recreation research to date do not explain the reasons why females are under-represented in active outdoor pursuits in this country. This paper proposes a more embodied, experiential and humanistic treatment of women in outdoor recreation research to more adequately illustrate the complexities of women's involvement or lack of, in active outdoor pursuits in New Zealand today.