Why does a commuter decide to drive alone in a car rather than carpooling or taking mass transit? Why do most land-use development patterns favor sprawl with its attendant environmental impacts over more environmentally benign forms of development? Why are most fisheries overexploited? The term values is frequently invoked in discussions of environmental problems such as these. Overall, the idea that values, especially altruism, are related to environmentalism, seems well established, but little can be said about the causes of value change and of the overall effects of value change on changes in behavior. The evidence in support of this argument is more equivocal. The other line of research suggests that environmentalism emerges when basic material needs are met and that individuals and societies that are postmaterialist in their values are more likely to exhibit pro-environmental behaviors. One has focused on four value clusters: self-interest, altruism, traditionalism, and openness to change and found relatively consistent theoretical and empirical support for the relationship of values to environmentalism. In sociology, social psychology, and political science, two major lines of research have addressed environmental values. In economics, the term values is usually used in discussions of social choice, where an assessment of the social value of various alternatives serves as a guide to the best choice under a utilitarian ethic (the greatest good for the greatest number). In philosophy, values are relatively stable principles that help us make decisions when our preferences are in conflict and thus convey some sense of what we consider good. There is a substantial literature on values that spans several disciplines. ▪ Abstract Values are often invoked in discussions of how to develop a more sustainable relationship with the environment.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |