Inequalities on Willingness to Act Pro-environmentally
摘要
Climate change social movements led by young people in many countries underscore the importance of understanding students’ willingness to act pro-environmentally. Various studies indicate inequalities in this regard. Wealthier people and women tend to exhibit greater pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Moreover, literature on political socialization literature emphasizes the significant influence of families in shaping sociopolitical attitudes. This influence is particularly notable in aspects of social position and academic orientation. Hence, the study of willingness to act pro-environmentally must consider the potential gaps shaped by gender and socioeconomic status. In this chapter, students’ willingness to make personal efforts to protect the environment is assessed in relation to three main factors: students’ gender, parental education, and family scholarly culture (as indicated by the availability of more than 100 books at home). Additionally, immigration background was taken into account. International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2016 data were used and fitted to a series of ordinal logit models, assessing students’ willingness to act pro-environmentally in relation to these three factors. Results showed significant gaps: girls, students from more educated families, and students from more scholarly cultured families tend to display a higher willingness to act pro-environmentally.