Environmental Conservation

Table of Contents - March 2011 - Volume 38, Issue 01  

Papers

Effects of attitudinal and sociodemographic factors on pro-environmental behaviour in urban China

XIAODONG CHENa1 c1, M. NILS PETERSONa2, VANESSA HULLa1, CHUNTIAN LUa3, GRAISE D. LEEa2, DAYONG HONGa4 and JIANGUO LIUa1

a1 Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA

a2 Fisheries and Wildlife Program, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Box 7646, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA

a3 Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA

a4 Department of Sociology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China

SUMMARY

China currently faces severe environmental challenges, and information regarding the predictors of pro-environmental behaviour in China is needed to manage them. This study addresses this need by modelling the sociodemographic and attitudinal factors predicting pro-environmental behaviour in urban China. Pro-environmental behaviour was modelled as a function of environmental attitude (measured using the new environmental paradigm) and various sociodemographic characteristics. Respondents who were employed, holding leadership positions, living in larger cities and single were more likely to participate in pro-environmental behaviour. These results accord with previous studies suggesting being female, younger, highly educated and having environmentally oriented attitudes increased the odds of participating in pro-environmental behaviour. The rapid urbanization and economic development in China may significantly impact pro-environmental behaviour in the future.

(Received November 13 2009)

(Accepted May 20 2010)

(Online publication January 18 2011)

Keywords:

Correspondence:

c1 Correspondence: Dr Xiaodong Chen e-mail: chenxia2@msu.edu