Climate change advocacy: exploring links between student empowerment and civic engagement

Abstract

Purpose This study identified the attitudes and behaviors of college students regarding their advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Specifically, perceptions of climate change were assessed and advocacy activities were identified for climate change and/or other topics. Design/methodology/approach Using convenience sampling, students (n = 440) from three universities in the Midwest, the USA, completed surveys assessing their level of agreement with activities related to civic engagement, climate change and policy. Semantic differential scales focused on “learning about climate change,” “advocating for climate change mitigation” and “advocating for climate change adaptation.” Three open-ended questions were used to identify student experiences with civic engagement and/or service-learning, as well as topics in which they advocate and how they advocate. Findings Regarding advocacy in general, over 50% of the sample did not advocate for any topic, with 24.5% of students stating they advocated for the environment/climate change. Students who identified as female, democratic and 1st or 2nd year in school were more likely to be engaged with environmental advocacy. Regarding civic engagement, seniors were more actively engaged with their communities and also more likely to vote in local, state and national elections. Research limitations/implications Time of data collection was a potential limitation with schools conducting data collection at different time periods. Students who identified more progressive politically were also more likely to participate in the study. Originality/value While research exists regarding student civic engagement levels, this research project identified ways in which students engaged in advocacy, identifying potential links with civic engagement and enhanced participation in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Awareness on Climate Change Among Generations X, Y and Z: Kesitsel ve Tanımlayıcı Çalışma

“…The study of Wodika and Mid-dleton also found that climate change advocacy was higher among the female participants. 31 This and our finding may be related with emotionality of women, who are more likely to prioritize production over consumption.…”

Higher Education for Sustainability: A Critical Review of the Empirical Evidence 2013–2020

“…Typically, authors argued that natural resource management is part of the socio-ecological fabric, suggesting that change requires learning across dimensions, e.g., [53]. Studies in this category tended to emphasize concepts such as social responsibility, e.g., [54], civic engagement, e.g., [55], and taking leadership, e.g., [56].…”

“…The evidence of a possible association of higher education and sustainability behavior is weak: while some studies found that students from environmentally focused programs reported more environmentally responsible behavior and activism, e.g., [117], others asserted that sustainability behavior did not change due to exposure to sustainability-related higher education, e.g., [148]. The year of study did not predict sustainability behavior [149], and environmental advocacy actually decreased throughout experiencing higher education, e.g., [55]. In another study, graduates, although knowledgeable, did not show sustainability leadership in the workplace [97].…”

Work in Progress: Investigating the Relationship between Active Learning Strategies in Engineering Courses and Students’ Sustainability Behaviors

“…While educators and policymakers give much attention to issues such as workforce development, global competitiveness, and economic advancement as important long-term outcomes of higher education [1][2][3], colleges and universities should also be concerned with developing civically engaged leaders equipped with the knowledge and skills for addressing challenges of national and global concern, such as sustainability problems and climate change [4][5]. Scholars have consistently pointed to higher education as a critical catalyst for climate change activism since universities (a) are important sources of new knowledge related to sustainability, (b) educate millions of citizens around the country annually, and (c) can commit massive intellectual and financial resources to educating, organizing, and mobilizing sustainability leaders of the future [6][7].…”