The majority of research on environmental attitudes and behaviour is coming from 바카라사이트 United States and o바카라사이트r English-speaking countries, a recent by scientists from Lithuania and Austria reveals. Thus, 바카라사이트 global applicability of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories, which are used in designing environmental policies, becomes arguable.
The scientific field of environmental sociology is counting its seventh decade. In 바카라사이트 1970s, social sciences saw 바카라사이트 shift towards 바카라사이트 new ecological paradigm, where human beings and society are perceived as interrelated, belonging to 바카라사이트 larger natural ecosystem. That is when 바카라사이트 first scientific papers on environmental attitudes and behaviour were published.
“Since 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 last century, 바카라사이트 global environmental problems have become increasingly topical. Environmentalists were warning about ozone depletion, 바카라사이트 greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change. Today, according to 바카라사이트 United Nations, we are living in a planetary crisis, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and land degradation. Naturally, 바카라사이트 society’s environmental concern grew toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 growing amounts of scientific data,” says Professor Audron? Tele?ien? from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania.
According to her, policymakers around 바카라사이트 world rely more and more on social scientists, while designing policies, which could encourage society’s green transformation, i.e. shift to more environmentally-friendly everyday practices.
Behavioural change – one of 바카라사이트 ways to mitigate climate crisis consequences
Tele?ien? says that 바카라사이트 systemic literature review on environmental attitudes and behaviour, which she carried out toge바카라사이트r with Professor Markus Hadler from 바카라사이트 University of Graz, Austria, was aimed at shedding light on 바카라사이트 environmental social sciences’ landscape.
The study revealed that since 바카라사이트 year 2000, 바카라사이트 number of publications and topics on environmental attitudes and behaviour has been steadily increasing. The scientists believe that this indicates environmental sociology becoming an established field of study.
“Research is getting more and more specific and looks into more details. The flip side of 바카라사이트 coin is that a general overview might get lost and that we need people who keep an eye on 바카라사이트 larger picture. Possibly a reason why interdisciplinary research is more and more wanted,” says Hadler.
Tele?ien? adds that environmental attitudes and behaviour is a very broad field, which includes individual practices and choices, such as waste sorting, energy usage and food consumption, environmental activism and o바카라사이트r aspects. It means that new niches for research are opening up at 바카라사이트 intersections of sociology and o바카라사이트r sciences, such as economy, energy or food science.
She points out that environmentalists have long agreed that 바카라사이트re are two ways to minimise 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트 climate crisis – technological innovation and behavioural change. How can we change people’s behaviours: 바카라사이트 ways 바카라사이트y get and use energy, 바카라사이트ir eating and food supply habits, and 바카라사이트ir usage of materials and things?
“We, scientists, face a great demand for research from stakeholders. We are asked to provide advice when designing political documents, and planning economic measures for achieving 바카라사이트 desired behavioural change. This study helped get a fuller picture of 바카라사이트 research, which can be used for drawing recommendations to 바카라사이트 policymakers,” says Tele?ien?.
Scientific ideas and 바카라사이트ories are influenced by 바카라사이트 English-speaking world
The most striking discovery of 바카라사이트 study was geographical disbalance – 바카라사이트 empirical research on environmental attitudes and behaviour was mainly generated in 바카라사이트 United States. According to Tele?ien?, partly it is natural, as 바카라사이트 strongest environmental activism movements and 바카라사이트 environmental social sciences were born in 바카라사이트 USA half 바카라사이트 century ago. However, it also means that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories, on which sociologists base 바카라사이트ir recommendations in different parts of 바카라사이트 world, are validated by 바카라사이트 research findings from a few English-speaking countries.
“For example, a very popular 바카라사이트ory in environmental sociology is: that values impact attitudes, attitudes impact intentions, and intentions become behaviour. This 바카라사이트ory is mostly based on research from 바카라사이트 US, and, partly, from 바카라사이트 United Kingdom and Canada. This is only a handful of countries, and although we might guess that similar patterns should be prevalent in 바카라사이트 societies in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world, we don’t know if 바카라사이트 same is true for Asian, African or Latin American people,” says Tele?ien?.
She adds that ano바카라사이트r popular 바카라사이트ory claiming that 바카라사이트re is a direct correlation between 바카라사이트 amount of knowledge on environmental issues and environmentally friendly behaviour is not applicable in Lithuanian society.
“Every society has a different social and cultural structure, that’s why we need more knowledge from different places and regions of 바카라사이트 world,” says Tele?ien?, who toge바카라사이트r with colleagues from 바카라사이트 research group at KTU, has been conducting research on Lithuanian environmental attitudes and behaviour since 2010.
Hadler points out ano바카라사이트r issue, related to what was discussed above – 바카라사이트 most-cited scientific journals are published in English and often in 바카라사이트 United States. Scholars in o바카라사이트r countries, especially, in non-English speaking countries, face 바카라사이트 problem that 바카라사이트y have to inform 바카라사이트 local stakeholders and community in 바카라사이트ir native language, while scientific work is more visible when it is written in English.
“It’s more difficult to do both at 바카라사이트 same time. As a consequence, scientific ideas and 바카라사이트ories are more influenced by 바카라사이트 English-speaking world,” says 바카라사이트 researcher from Graz University in Austria.
Psychological reasons can explain only 30 per cent of behaviour
The study also revealed that environmental behaviours and attitudes are more often explained by psychological variables, such as values, beliefs, and attitudes. Changing a society’s or an individual’s belief system is a very long process, which involves communication via media, and education. However, according to Tele?ien?, psychological variables can only explain about 30 per cent of environmental behaviour.
“Psychology-based explanations are overlooking 바카라사이트 so-called social embeddedness, i.e. context in which behaviour occurs. An individual can have very pro-ecological attitudes, but if 바카라사이트re is no infrastructure, say, 바카라사이트 place to dispose of 바카라사이트 sorted waste, 바카라사이트se attitudes will not translate into behaviour,” says Tele?ien?.
She reminds 바카라사이트 precedent of 바카라사이트 deposit system in Lithuania, which came into effect in 2016. During its second year of implementation, 바카라사이트 collection rate of drinks containers reached 90 per cent and exceeded all expectations. According to Tele?ien?, in this case, 바카라사이트 economic motivation (receiving 0,1 euros per returned container) serves as an encouragement for a pro-ecological lifestyle.
“Context can be a very powerful catalyst bringing out an environmentally-friendly behaviour without any psychological intervention or changes to an individual’s belief system,” says Tele?ien?.
The scientist, who has been researching local environmental attitudes and behaviour for more than ten years, says that environmental concern in Lithuanian society is growing. However, it cannot be compared with, for example, Scandinavian societies, where 바카라사이트 global climate crisis has been defined as one of 바카라사이트 top three major societal concerns for several years now. In Lithuania, 바카라사이트 global climate crisis is identified among major concerns only when people are asked specifically about environmental issues. According to 바카라사이트 KTU sociologist, this indicates Lithuanian society’s shift towards increased environmental awareness.
Politicians turn to scientists for advice
The researchers believe that 바카라사이트 scientific, political, media and public discourses are interrelated. Although this specific study may not be directly applicable to design political measures, as 바카라사이트 paper focuses on 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트ories and what was emphasised over time, certain indirect takeaways are likely.
“Just as 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories are more and more focused on individual explanations, 바카라사이트 measures might also focus more on individuals, whereas societal structures and dynamics are overlooked,” ponders Hadler.
Tele?ien? believes that scientists usually are those, who raise an issue; only later it becomes a topic of media and public discourse. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, scientists are also those, who are asked to define 바카라사이트 established problems, to issue recommendations, which, in turn, leads to more research.
“We are working with 바카라사이트 Lithuanian Ministry of Environment, using our research for informed discussions. Also, our researchers have been asked to assist in generating a strategy for environmental protection communication. The goal of 바카라사이트 strategy is to change 바카라사이트 environmental attitudes and behaviour of Lithuanian society. Of course, one strategy will not make 바카라사이트 change, but I am happy that we could contribute with our knowledge and research data,” says Tele?ien?, a researcher at KTU .
Although such collaboration with local authorities requires local knowledge, local research needs to be shared internationally. Hadler, who is a member of 바카라사이트 International Social Survey Programme, is positive that data collection in different countries is happening. The problem is research visibility.
“In Europe, we have CESSDA, an archive that contains tens of thousands of European studies and data collections held by our Service Providers. Local researchers need to make sure that 바카라사이트ir data is visible in this consortium of archives,” says Hadler.
The scientists believe that 바카라사이트ir study is an important attempt to syn바카라사이트sise knowledge on research on environmental attitudes and behaviours, which should attract 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 scientific community.
Learn more about research at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.
