Lives worth living: oral histories of members of a tramping club - exploring the meaning of community, leisure, and wilderness

Abstract

This thesis explores what it means to be a member of a community, for six long-term members of a tramping club. Oral history was the method used for this research as a way to gain insights into individual perspectives and feelings. While critics of oral history point to the subjective nature of individual accounts and the difficulty of knowing where fact ends and imagination begins, this study proceeds from the assumption that all historical accounts, whether written or oral, are subjective interpretations of material events. Furthermore, orality is a medium that provides opportunities for rich contextual insights gained through verbal and non-verbal communication, and the subtleties of the spoken word. These oral accounts provided insights into individual perceptions of how the Tararua Tramping Club functions as a community, what membership has meant to interviewees personally, and dimensions of tramping club culture. A community consciousness exists in shared meanings ascribed to a club ethos. This aggregates diverse individuals who hold a range of views on matters of interest to the group. These shared ideals provide a perceived coherence and operate as a boundary to other groups. Club membership becomes a central life interest built around tramping as a leisure pursuit and social relationships are a key dimension to a meaningful leisure experience. Individuals view wilderness areas and the outdoors as places offering mental, physical, and even spiritual benefits, and this perception is an essential feature of the club ethos. Results of this study show how people actively use group membership to meet their individual needs and desires, and how the influence of a community group impacts on the wider society within which it is embedded. Many people in New Zealand have tramped at some stage in their life and, commonly, belonged to a tramping club. This study provides valuable insights into this subculture and its role in the socialisation of relationships. Aspects of the club's success as a community are highlighted, such as its adaptation to external influences, and the flexible ways individuals can be involved appropriate to their individual interests and life stages. Shared social interests, such as tramping, and the perception of New Zealand's natural environment are examples of powerful ideals that draw together diverse individuals into community. The process of community lies in the dynamic ways individuals alternatively contribute to it, and draw strengths from it, influencing many other areas of their lives.