Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

My name is Mingjie (Jessie) Gao and am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. Prior to arriving in Canada, I received Bachelor's (2010) degree from the Department of Tourism Management at South China Normal University and Master's (2013) degrees in Tourism Planning from Peking University. My research interests include family vacations, travel and health, and coastal governance.

Abstract (150 Words)

The purpose of this study was to inquire local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches. Constructivist grounded theory was used in this study. The research site was in a northern coastal city in mainland China. A hierarchical model to understand local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches was proposed. Recreational beaches were attached with emotional feelings, where local residents can increase their family bonding and maintain friendships. Moreover, recreational beaches are carriers of the local culture.

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A grounded theory analysis of local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches

The purpose of this study was to inquire local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches. Constructivist grounded theory was used in this study. The research site was in a northern coastal city in mainland China. A hierarchical model to understand local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches was proposed. Recreational beaches were attached with emotional feelings, where local residents can increase their family bonding and maintain friendships. Moreover, recreational beaches are carriers of the local culture.