• Charles Sturt University research investigates the difference between how mothers and fathers engage in outdoor recreation with children
• The international survey of more than 5,000 people showed fathers are likely to engage in activities that are perceived to be more ‘risky’

Research has revealed that women who become mothers are far less likely to engage in outdoor recreation activities that they perceive carry risks, whereas men behave more or less the same - with or without children.

A Charles Sturt University graduate has published her research on the role of gender in outdoor recreation and the potential effects of gender, parenthood and age on attitudes towards risk in outdoor recreation. 

Over three years, 3,241 men and 1,906 women from Australia, the USA, Europe and Canada were surveyed.

For the purposes of her research, Ms Amelia McLean defined ‘outdoor recreation’ as activity done outdoors or a setting that mimics the outdoors, such as an indoor climbing gym, for the purpose of leisure, skill enhancement or connecting with other people or nature.

Ms McLean’s research was based on observations about how her own experiences of enjoying outdoor recreation differed to mens’ experiences.

One of the notable differences was between male and female parents.

“We definitely found that, in general, the difference between women with kids and without kids was way more pronounced than it was for men in these respective categories,” Ms McLean said.

“The results demonstrate that such gender differences exist in our study cohort, correlating with females who had assumed the role of motherhood, but not for men who had assumed the role of fatherhood.

“It makes sense that parenthood would make you more risks averse since risk aversion usually leads to lower rates of mortality.

“This is why we get into gender roles, which becomes that nature-nurture conversation around what makes someone lean into the role of parenthood.”

Ms McLean noticed certain types of conversations surrounding her regular practice as a solo hiker about danger and caution, conversations she suspected were not being had with men who were engaging in the same activity.

“This was so at odds with my experience of the outdoors as a space where I felt equal and where I derived a great deal of confidence,” she said. 

She found that outdoor recreation seems more accessible to men and that, in general, women report greater perceptions of risk, which seemed largely influenced by their prior experience on risk perceptions.

Ms McLean said her research presents gendered risk perceptions as fluid, influenced by parental status and life course.

She said the main questions it poses are – why does parenthood not effect men’s (apparent) perceptions of risk in outdoor recreation, and why are women’s risk perceptions seemingly more galvanised by prior experience?

“I love the idea that maybe there’s a whole cohort of women out there who could really benefit from greater participation in outdoor recreation, who just need an introduction, or for some of the preconceived notions of inaccessibility to be countered,” Ms McLean said.

She said the other result of her research could be an understanding of men’s experience of ‘manhood’ and parenthood and what they think is expected behaviour of them in their male-dominated domains.

Ms McLean graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Applied Science (Outdoor Recreation and Ecotourism) and Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) from Charles Sturt.