摘要：Urbanization and modernization have led to changes in the ways people use nature. While the public use ofnature is changing from subsistence to recreation, the amount of direct contact with nature has appearedto decrease in Western societies. Younger generations’ alienation from nature has been recently discussedin Finland, too. This article explores young people’s outdoor recreation and relationship with nature. Theresearch questions are: 1) how do young people born in the 1990s, the so called Generation Y, recreateoutdoors, 2) what values and meanings do they attach to natural areas and outdoor recreation, and 3) howdoes their relationship with nature develop? This study is based on thematic writings and surveys completedby 15–21 year old people living in the Lahti region (N=184). Results indicate the polarization in relationto nature: for some young people nature is an integral part of their lives while some are not interested innature. The number of people not connected to nature may increase as urbanization continues. Nevertheless,it is challenging to forecast the future as outdoor recreation seems to be connected to people’s ageand life phase. Outdoor recreation may thus increase among these young people in later phases of life.
关键词：Generation Y; nature; outdoor recreation; young people
