Identity and environmentalism: the influence of community characteristics

Owen, Ann L. and Videras, Julio and Wu, Stephen (2008): Identity and environmentalism: the influence of community characteristics.

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of community characteristics on self-proclaimed environmentalism. We find that the composition of a community affects the likelihood that a person claims to be a strong environmentalist, even after controlling for individual characteristics and pro-environment behaviors. Individuals are more likely to definitely agree they are strong environmentalists if they live in areas where a large share of the population has post-graduate degrees and if they live in heavily Democratic areas or heavily Republican areas. These community effects occur only when individuals are predisposed to take on an environmental identity.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: identity; environmentalism; communicty effects
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology ; Social and Economic Stratification

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