Describing Preconceptions of the North American Ranching Industry in Adult Visitors to the National Ranching Heritage Center

The National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas, has a mission to preserve and interpret ranching heritage and to impact contemporary ranching issues. Ranching has a unique relationship with the U.S. public in terms of cultural identity and public policy issues related to land use. With the growing decline in agricultural literacy in the general U.S. public, how adult visitors to the NRHC understand ranching could impact the center’s ability to fulfill its mission. The purpose of this study was to gather data for the NRHC regarding its adult visiting population in terms of basic demographic information, their preconceptions of ranching, the impact of the center on those preconceptions, and how visitors interact with the center’s exhibits. Building on Selectivity Processes Theory from communications and the Contextual Model of Learning from museum science, this study followed a mixed methods, convergent parallel design. A Qualtrics questionnaire collected quantitative and qualitative data from adult visitors over two weekends. Additional interviews with visitors yielded rich descriptive data. The results indicated that this sample of adult visitors held positive preconceptions of ranching related to most subjects and issues, and revealed subjects on which the museum could consider future exhibits. It also indicated that the museum had a significant, modifying effect on visitors’ attitudes about the ranching-related subjects addressed in this study. Additionally, this study developed attitudinal scales designed to capture public opinion on current ranching-related subjects and public policy issues applicable to a wider sample. This engaged scholarship project provides practical recommendations for the NRHC to further strengthen how it accomplishes its mission.