IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osp/wpaper/07e003.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Socioeconomic Determinants of Individual Environmental Concern: Evidence from Shanghai Data

Author

Listed:
  • Junyi Shen

    (Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University)

  • Tatsuyoshi Saijo

    (ISER, Osaka University)

Abstract

This study examines the influence of socioeconomic characteristics on eleven measures of environmental concern by applying a pooled sample of 1200 individuals in Shanghai, China. Previous studies, which made efforts to explain environmental concern as a function of social structure, suggest that there are traditionally five hypotheses (the age, gender, social class, residence, and political hypotheses) for socioeconomic determinants, which are associated with individual environmental concerns. Unlike those methodologies adopted in many previous studies, we apply an ordered probit model to test three hypotheses (the age, gender, and social class hypotheses) in this study. As a result, high income and high education level are found to be positively related to environmental concern as expected. However, we find that in contrast to most of the existing studies, the marginal effect of age on the probability of being environmentally concerned is positive in several measures, implying that the older are more concerned about the environment than the younger. In addition, weak evidences indicate that women are less concerned about the environment than men. Other socioeconomic characteristics such as employment status and household size are not significant in most of the environmental concern measures we defined.

Suggested Citation

  • Junyi Shen & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2007. "The Socioeconomic Determinants of Individual Environmental Concern: Evidence from Shanghai Data," OSIPP Discussion Paper 07E003, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    • Handle: RePEc:osp:wpaper:07e003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.osipp.osaka-u.ac.jp/archives/DP/2007/DP2007E003.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. H. Peter Witzke & Guido Urfei, 2001. "Willingness To Pay for Environmental Protection in Germany: Coping With the Regional Dimension," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 207-214.
    2. Thomas Dietz & Linda Kalof & Paul C. Stern, 2002. "Gender, Values, and Environmentalism," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 83(1), pages 353-364, March.
    3. Lori M. Hunter & Alison Hatch & Aaron Johnson, 2004. "Cross‐National Gender Variation in Environmental Behaviors," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 85(3), pages 677-694, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Junyi Shen & Tatsuyoshi Saijo, 2007. "Does energy efficiency label alter consumers f purchase decision? A latent class approach on Shanghai data," OSIPP Discussion Paper 07E005, Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University.
    2. Mohammad Masud Alam & AFM Zakaria, 2021. "A Probit Estimation of Urban Bases of Environmental Awareness: Evidence from Sylhet City, Bangladesh," Papers 2107.08342, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2021.
    3. Felix Richter & Malte Steenbeck & Markus Wilhelm, 2013. "Nuclear Accidents and Policy: Notes on Public Perception," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 590, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Alam, Mohammad Masud, 2013. "A Probit Estimation of Urban Bases of Environmental Awareness: Evidence from Sylhet City, Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 108711, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Owino Odhiambo Joseph, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review of Literature," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(1), pages 1-1, July.
    6. Mills, Bradford & Schleich, Joachim, 2012. "Residential energy-efficient technology adoption, energy conservation, knowledge, and attitudes: An analysis of European countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 616-628.
    7. Simangele Dlamini & Solomon G. Tesfamichael & Yegnanew Shiferaw & Tholang Mokhele, 2020. "Determinants of Environmental Perceptions and Attitudes in a Socio-Demographically Diverse Urban Setup: The Case of Gauteng Province, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Peter Petegem, 2010. "A cross-national perspective on youth environmental attitudes," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 133-144, June.
    9. Vladimir Udalov & Paul J. J. Welfens, 2021. "Digital and competing information sources: Impact on environmental concern and prospects for international policy cooperation," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 631-660, October.
    10. Giovanis, Eleftherios & Ozdamar, Oznur, 2014. "Relationship between health status and recycling rates: Evidence from Great Britain," MPRA Paper 64405, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meyer, Andrew, 2016. "Is unemployment good for the environment?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 18-30.
    2. Halkos, George, 2012. "Assessing the economic value of protecting artificial lakes," MPRA Paper 39557, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. repec:sae:envval:ev21:ev2111 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Enzo Loner, 2016. "A new way of looking at old things. An application of Guttman errors analysis to the study of environmental concern," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 823-847, March.
    5. Witkowski, Terrence H. & Reddy, Sabine, 2010. "Antecedents of ethical consumption activities in Germany and the United States," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 8-14.
    6. Donatella Baiardi, 2021. "What do you think about climate change?," Working Papers 477, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Aug 2021.
    7. Ana Carolina Clark & Natalia Melgar & María Fernanda Milans & Máximo Rossi, 2011. "Percepción medioambiental de los ciudadanos latinoamericanos," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 2511, Department of Economics - dECON.
    8. Benno Torgler & María A.García-Valiñas & Alison Macintyre, 2007. "Differences in Preferences Towards the Environment: The Impact of a Gender, Age and Parental Effect," CREMA Working Paper Series 2008-01, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    9. Torgler, Benno & Garcã A-Valiã‘As, Marã A A. & Macintyre, Alison, 2011. "Participation in environmental organizations: an empirical analysis," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(5), pages 591-620, October.
    10. Benno Torgler & Maria A. Garcia-Valinas & Alison Macintyre, 2012. "Justifiability of Littering: An Empirical Investigation," Environmental Values, White Horse Press, vol. 21(2), pages 209-231, May.
    11. Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin & Alhusen, Harm, 2019. "On the determinants of pro-environmental behavior: A literature review and guide for the empirical economist," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 350, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics, revised 2019.
    12. Michael Luchs & Todd Mooradian, 2012. "Sex, Personality, and Sustainable Consumer Behaviour: Elucidating the Gender Effect," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 127-144, March.
    13. Andersson-Hudson, Jessica & Knight, William & Humphrey, Mathew & O’Hara, Sarah, 2016. "Exploring support for shale gas extraction in the United Kingdom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 582-589.
    14. Donatella Baiardi, 2021. "What do you think about climate change?," Working Paper series 21-16, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    15. Benno Torgler & María A.García-Valiñas & Alison Macintyre, 2007. "Differences in Preferences Towards the Environment: The Impact of a Gender, Age and Parental Effect," CREMA Working Paper Series 2008-01, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    16. Kalamas, Maria & Cleveland, Mark & Laroche, Michel, 2014. "Pro-environmental behaviors for thee but not for me: Green giants, green Gods, and external environmental locus of control," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 12-22.
    17. Natalia Melgar & Máximo Rossi, 2012. "Involvement in environmental causes, does the joint effect between subjective income and the performance of the country matter?," Revista de Economía del Rosario, Universidad del Rosario, June.
    18. Angela Franz-Balsen, 2014. "Gender and (Un)Sustainability—Can Communication Solve a Conflict of Norms?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-19, April.
    19. Benno Torgler & Maria A. Garcia-Valinas & Alison Macintyre, 2012. "Justifiability of Littering: An Empirical Investigation," Environmental Values, White Horse Press, vol. 21(2), pages 209-231, May.
    20. Benno Torgler & Maria A. Garcia-Valiñas, 2006. "Participation in Environmental Organizations: Political Interest and State Capacity," CREMA Working Paper Series 2006-14, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    21. María A. García-Valiñas & Benno Torgler, 2008. "Impuestos y Protección Medioambiental: Un Análisis de las Preferencias Individuales a nivel Europeo," Working Papers 03-2008, Institute of Local Public Finance.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Socioeconomic determinants; Environmental Concern; Ordered Probit Model; Chinese;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • Q59 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Other

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:osp:wpaper:07e003. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Akiko Murashita (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iposujp.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.