Participation in the Environmental Movement

Abstract

The article establishes which determinants contribute to involvement in the European environmental movement, whether participants in the movement are unique from participants in other new social movements (NSMs), and the effects of biographical availability and national social structure on environmental activism. Relevant questions include the way values, education and income, family responsibilities, national economic development and population density influence differential participation in the movement across nations. This study relies on data from Eurobarometer 25, a biannual questionnaire administered across 12 European Union nations to examine the influence of individual factors, and data from Eurostat to test the influence of national social structural factors on participation. Participation is measured by whether respondents contributed money to environmental organizations and/or participated in environmental associations, local restoration projects or demonstrations to protect the environment. Logistic regression is utilized to test hypotheses about the relationship to participation. The findings suggest that environmental activism is influenced primarily by postmaterialist values and beliefs, higher education and income, and living in nations with lower levels of poverty, unemployment and agricultural employment and greater population density. This study contradicts previous findings on the importance of biographical availability. Participants in the Western European environmental movement are similar to and different from participants in other NSMs. Ironically, those benefiting most from industrialization and its corresponding environmental impacts are more likely to engage in environmental activism.

Environmental Movements in Advanced Industrial Democracies: Heterogeneity, Transformation, and Institutionalization

“…Rural residents are more likely to have a utilitarian view of nature (62) coupled with a growth mentality that spurs rural and small-town residents to value growth over environmental protection (62). Urban centers are more exposed to environmental degradation and thus more likely to hold grievances spurring environmental activism (62,63). Urbanization is also positively related to mobilization as it offers the possibility for similarly minded individuals to come together and mobilize (63)(64)(65).…”

Environmental Behaviors in a Transatlantic View

“…Movements that are able to generate more support in terms of funding, office space, and supporters are more likely to be successful. This connection between affluence and success has implications at both the context level and the individual level (Gillham 2008). First, affluent societies are able to offer more support, and movements are thus more common in such countries.…”

“…Furthermore, it contributes to international comparative research by studying the underlying individual-level determinants in each country separately. It, therefore, adds more detailed insights to studies such as Hadler and Haller (2011) and Gillham (2008) that compare several countries in one model and likely miss differences within countries.…”

Collective Guilt and Attitudes Toward Recycling: Data From a North Queensland Sample

“…This has not been consistent, however, with several studies failing to find a significant gender difference in environmental activism, (e.g., Gillham, 2008;Tindall, Davies, & Mauboules, 2003). Despite this, however, women are usually found to engage in more environmentally friendly behaviours in their general day-to-day lives, including reducing electricity usage, purchasing organic produce, reusing or repairing items instead of discarding them and choosing environmentally friendly chemical products, among others (e.g., Mohai, 1992;Stern, Dietz, & Kalof, 1993;Tindall, Davies, & Mauboules, 2003;Zelezny, Chua, & Aldrich, 2000).…”