Park Use and Perception: Gender Differences

Abstract

This paper examines the differing images and expectations that males?and females report about urban and suburban park settings. Visitors to three midwesterndistrict level parks were interviewed during the summer of 1980. Research results indicatethat although males and females did not differ significantly in their perceptions of theoverall social environment of the parks, they did differ considerably in evaluations of their personal safety in the parks. Further, the size and composition of visitor groupsdiffered for male and female respondents, and the time of day visits took place was moreconcentrated for females than it was for male visitors.