religion good for environmentalism

ch.2, ec-p.12 – aspects of religiosity that positively correspond with different expressions of environmental concern…

“Multiple religious behaviors, beliefs, and values correspond with various expressions of environmentalism. Church attendees who more frequently worship indicate stronger pro-environmental attitudes (Eckberg and Blocker 1996) and engage in pro-environmental behaviors more frequently (Black 1997; Kanagy and Willits 1993; Woodrum and Wolkomir 1997). Believers who more strongly identify with their denomination or religion more frequently believe “nature is sacred because it is created by God.” They express greater willingness to sacrifice for environmental quality or engage in pro-environmental actions. However, this is limited to private individual consumer behaviors, not more public expressions of support for environmental policy (Dietz, Stern, and Guagnano 1998).”

 

 

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religion’s positive, mixed role in environmental concern (table)

ch.2, table 2.a – summary table of research whose major findings reveal either overall positive association between religion and environmental concern or show measures of religion, religiosity with an apparently mixed influence…

Table 2A Religion Positive Mixed Effect

 

 

research contradicting Lynn White

ch.2, ec-p.11 – introductory paragraph to summary of religion and environmental concern research whose major findings include an overall positive role of religion with environmentalism, or studies showing a generally mixed association…

“Positive association and mixed influence. TABLE 2.A identifies studies where analysts either find measures of religiosity corresponding positively overall with examples of environmental concern or see mixed evidence of religion’s role in environmentalism. This evidence appears despite Lynn White’s decades-old charge that western Christianity creates contemporary ecological crises in modern societies (White 1967).”

 

 

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Will Climate Change Denial Inherit the Wind?

good depiction of the larger cultural and societal context of my case study. interviewees reflected various aspects of the social movement characteristics discussed. for example, this one: “antievolutionism shifted from being a minority view among fundamentalist theologians to become a defining creed of fundamentalism” – and those who subscribe to it like those i interviewed…

Mobilizing Ideas

By Josh Rosenau

In 2012, 87 years after its first famous Monkey Law, Tennessee passed a law attacking evolution, labeling that foundation of modern biology “controversial” and purporting to grant public school teachers and students “academic freedom” to challenge it in class. Unlike 1925’s Butler Act, 2012’s Monkey Law broadened its scope beyond evolution, also sweeping in the similarly scientifically uncontroversial but socially contentious topic of climate change.

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which america are ohio evangelicals?

here’s a revealing (and hopeful?) look at possible common ground on climate change policy among those with differing views on more its more fundamental beliefs (e.g. is climate change happening, do anthropogenic forcings or causes exist?). which america do you think most people i talked to represent? i discuss the religious dimensions of white conservative protestants opposition to climate policy more in the conclusion chapter…

Energy Agreement Hidden by Climate Disputes from Andrew Revkin

 

religion murky in environmental concern

ch.2, ec-p.10 – introductory paragraph summarizing overall state of research on religion‘s role in environmental concern…

“The role of religion in environmental concern remains murky despite this increasing attention over the last few decades (Proctor and Berry 2005). The literature gives a contradictory and complex picture. Empirical research offers few conclusive signs on whether religion is good, bad, or otherwise inconsequential with respect to how people express their environmentalism through their beliefs, attitudes, intentions and willingness to support environmental policy, or behaviors with reduced ecological impacts. Three tables below summarize work where major findings show religion having an overall positive or mixed association with environmental concern, a primarily negative one, and when analysts found no evidence for the relationship or saw it as spurious. Most of this research focuses on Judeo-Christian faith traditions or various forms of Protestantism.”

 

 

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in the beginning

ch.2, ec-p.9 – introductory opening paragraph for extended discussion of religion-environmental concern literature…

“As scholarly interest in environmental concern grew through the years, public opinion surveys sometimes showed expressions of environmental concern and policy support corresponding with religion or religious characteristics (Gallup 2003). A few analysts began exploring this connection, with research increasing slowly from the late 1970s. It now occurs more regularly, focusing on the ways in which religious adherents express environmental concern and their distribution across religious groups. Sometimes the views of religious people are compared with those of non-religious persons. Other analyses make inter- and intra-denominational or theological comparisons, or examine variations in the environmentalism associated with major religious traditions. Finally, some work examines the views on resource depletion and pollution held by various religious groups and individuals with strong religious commitments or social identities. APPENDIX 2.X presents the samples, quantitative or qualitative methodology, and primary measures of religion and environmental concern for most known existing research.”

 

 

English: Pie chart of the religious groups in the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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a religious social base?

ch.2, ec-p.7 – life beyond this writing kept me busy yesterday, so two posts today to keep the pace. here’s a transition paragraph moving from discussing sociological interest in the general social bases of environmentalism to work focusing the relationship of religion with environmental concern in the next section of the chapter…

“Although most contour lines of environmental concern remained relatively well mapped, some received less attention than others. One area of primary research neglect included exploring the association of religion with expressions of environmental concern. Hints of its role appeared in early investigations (REFS), and some briefly mentioned it (Kanagy, Humphrey and Firebaugh 1994). Recently, analyst’s attention has turned more toward better understanding aspects of environmentalism’s religious social base, especially with increasing faith-based activism among believers on environmental issues and climate change (REFS).”

 

 

“Between God and Green”: an accomplished alumna and author presents a different side of sustainability

social construction, environmental concern

ch.2, ec-p.7 – identifying the value and utility of the sociological social construction approach to social  problems for examining public opinion and concern about environmental problems…

“Among the many challenges faced by analysts of public environmental concern (Dunlap and Jones, 2002), the fact that an individual’s views vary over time makes the social constructionist view on social problems advantageous. The relevance of environmental problems to different kinds of people and social groups also varies (Freudenburg, 1991). Although explorations of environmentalism’s social bases offer cross-sectional and longitudinal snapshots, they cannot fully explore the social processes in which ecological conditions are defined as problematic. This failure includes revealing the cultural resources and social factors such as religious tenets that shape people’s perceptions of ecological conditions.”

 

 

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