Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2019 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference! Please note, this event has passed. To return to the main Conference website, go to: www.midwestfw.org.
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CONFERENCE SCHEDULE UPDATES & CHANGES: As a result of the prolonged government shutdown, we experienced a number of cancellations and changes to the schedule. Cancellations and changes are listed here (as of January 26, 2019).
AUTHORS: Erin M. Burkett, Michigan Technological University; Amanda Popovich, Lake Superior State University
ABSTRACT: Recreational fishing is an important part of Michigan’s economy and outdoor culture, and women’s participation in recreational fishing is on the rise. Providing fishing opportunities for all stakeholders, including women, requires fisheries management agencies to gain a better understanding how women are recruited into fishing, what draws them to fishing, and what aspects of the sport they enjoy the most. This includes information about their experiences, values, and preferences regarding fishing and fisheries more broadly. Previous studies found that men and women sometimes ascribe different values and meanings to recreational fishing, but the underlying gender-based reasons for these differences, and how they relate to the underrepresentation of women in recreational fishing, has not been explored. Gendered expectations and related social processes are linked to both how natural resource management operates and what outdoor recreation activities are perceived as appropriate for women. This study’s purpose is to use a community and participant-centered method called Photovoice to better understand Michigan’s women anglers. I ask the following research questions: 1) Why do Michigan women fish?; 2) What does fishing mean to them?; and 3) What experiences or perceptions shape their initial decision to fish and continued participation in recreational fishing? Photovoice allows participants to record their experiences, values, and opinions through pictures and develop personal narratives during facilitated group discussions. This approach can invoke explanations of social processes that are inaccessible to more traditional social research methods like surveys. In this talk I will present the study findings including the participants’ own photographs, the major themes that emerged from their experiences and conversations with other participants, and how the participants decided to use this project as a means of organizing some policy-related action.
Wednesday January 30, 2019 11:40am - 12:00pm EST
HOPE BALLROOM B