| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to identify the critical elements of adolescent girls' culture and to identify the impact of this culture on leisure behavior within an adventure education setting. Qualitative methods, specifically ethnographic focus groups and participant observation, were chosen as the most appropriate means to accomplish the goals of the study. The results suggest that adolescent girls see their world in terms of absolutes. Further, of the three innate psychological needs serving as the basis for intrinsically motivated behavior (Deci & Ryan, 1991), relatedness is the most critical concern for adolescent girls. Until this relatedness is achieved, it is unlikely that the goals of adventure and other recreation programs will be addressed or that girls will truly experience leisure. This overriding desire for status and acceptance, which was established as the theme of adolescent girls' culture, can be most accurately described as "social dependency." |
