Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
Abstract
Many studies of environmental sociology have emphasized the coherence between attitudes and behaviors of the environment and taken it for granted; In these studies, the possibility of a dichotomy in environmental attitudes and behavior has not been considered and the type of environmental attitude has been considered as a fundamental determinant of the type of environmental behavior of the individual. In this article, by reviewing the dominant approaches of environmental sociology and using documentary research, the factors affecting the formation of gaps and dichotomies between attitudes and environmental behavior are extracted. By examining the commonalities of the approaches that have addressed this duality and the factors affecting it, finally, on three categories of demographic factors, external factors (such as cultural, social and economic factors) and internal factors (such as reinforcement, environmental knowledge, awareness, Values and attitudes, feelings and priorities) have been emphasized in order to explain environmental behavior and also to justify the duality of environmental attitudes and behavior. Finally, it can be claimed that environmentally responsible attitude as an internal factor along with factors consistent with this type of attitude, will lead to the formation of environmentally responsible behavior in individuals.
Long Abstract
Problem Statement
A responsible view of the environment and special attention to environmental issues are hallmarks of many 21st century societies (Nik Ramli and Mohammad, 2012). Researchers believe that environmentally responsible behavior, which is the result of responsible attitudes towards the environment, is one of the key elements in the process of sustainable development of modern and developing societies, and increasing human knowledge and awareness of the environment and related issues, leads to more responsible human behavior towards the environment (Kaiser et al, 1999). In this article, an attempt was made to focus on sociological approaches in the field of environment and consider the orientation of each of them about environmental behavior; and determine to what extent the duality of attitude and behavior has been taken into account in each of the sociological approaches to the environment.
Therefore, the question that this study seeks to answer is how the relationship between environmental attitudes and behavior has been explained in theoretical approaches to environmental sociology and if there is a gap and dichotomy between these two, what factors can explain the existence of duality of attitude and environmental behavior?
Research Methodology
The purpose of this study is to review the sociological approaches of the environment with the subject of explaining the attitude and behavior of individuals. This article intends to discover, extract, classify and evaluate materials (Sadeghi and Erfan Manesh, 2015) related to sociological approaches to the environment in terms of attitudes and behavior by using documentary method and regular and systematic use of documentary data. This research seeks to find the trajectory or developmental process of environmental theories of attitude and behavior. Therefore, it has considered selected articles, books and research projects related to the subject and has focused and evaluated their findings.
Conclusion
By examining the commonalities of the approaches that have dealt with the social duality of attitudes toward environmental behavior and the factors affecting it, three categories of demographic factors, external factors (such as cultural, social and economic factors) and internal factors (such as reinforcement, environmental knowledge, awareness, values and attitudes, feelings, priorities) have been emphasized in order to explain the environmental behavior as well as to justify the duality of environmental attitudes and behavior. Finally, it can be argued that a responsible attitude to the environment as an internal factor along with factors consistent with this type of attitude, will lead to the formation of responsible environmental behavior in individuals.
Practical Suggestions
It can be said that the source of the duality of environmental attitudes and behavior is the neglect of situational and demographic factors and other internal factors by researchers in this field, and the sociology of the environment should consider the interaction and complex interaction between factors and structures at different levels. In the study of structures, human beings should not be neglected, and neither can the psychological and one-dimensional study of human behavior.
reference
Kaiser, F.; S.Wolfing, U. Fuhrer (1999), “Environmental Attitude and Ecological Behavior”, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19: 1-19.
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Keywords
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