Two Worlds of Environmentalism?
Empirical Analyses on the Complex Relationship between Postmaterialism, National Wealth, and Environmental Concern
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Abstract
This article examines cross-cultural differences in the value cluster of environmentalism and postmaterialism. Based on an extension of Ronald Inglehart’s “objective problems–subjective values” hypothesis, we posit different sources of postmaterialism and environmental concern in wealthy versus poor countries. We test hypotheses on the relationship between national wealth, postmaterialist values, and environmental concern using empirical data from the World Values Survey waves 5 and 6 and the International Social Survey Program 2010. Using multilevel regression models with cross-level interaction terms and country fixed effects, we show that the effect of postmaterialism on environmental concern is indeed moderated by national wealth: whereas there is a weak or even no effect in poorer countries, the relationship is substantial in wealthy countries. Therefore, we argue that individual postmaterialist values and environmental concern do in fact form a coherent structure in wealthy countries, but should be considered as isolated constructs in poorer countries.
Contributor Notes
Jochen Mayerl is Junior Professor for Methods of Empirical Social Research at the School of Social Sciences, TU Kaiserslautern, Germany. He specializes in the study of attitude-behavior relations, social context analysis, survey methodology, and structural equation modeling. His most recent publications include “Effects of Aircraft Noise on Reading and Quality of Life in Primary School Children in Germany” (Environment & Behavior, 2017) and “Environmental Concern in Cross-National Comparison” in A. Telesiene and M. Groß’s Green European (Routledge, 2016); “Values, Beliefs, Attitudes: An empirical study on the structure of environmental concern and recycling participation” (Social Science Quarterly 2013). E-mail: Jochen.Mayerl@sowi.uni-kl.de
Henning Best is Professor of Sociology and Social Stratification, School of Social Sciences, TU Kaiserslautern, Germany. He specializes in quantitative methodology, causal inference, and environmental sociology. He coedited (with C. Wolf) the Sage Handbook of Regression Analysis and Causal Inference (Sage, 2015). He has published articles in European Sociological Review, Agriculture and Human Values, Social Science Research, Society and Natural Resources, and other journals. E-mail: best@sowi.uni-kl.de