SOCIAL-CLASS AND WILDERNESS USE

Using social class and social inequality theories and concepts, we ree xamine previous studies of recreation participation in designated wild erness. We suggest that members of the semiautonomous class-highly edu cated professional-technical and craft employees who have limited cont rol over what work they do but a great deal of control over how they d o it (Wright, 1978)-appropriated wilderness and continue to dominate w ilderness use. We propose an explanation of how and why this occurred.