Values of Nature in Every-day Life: Words versus Action in Ecological Behaviour

• The aim of the chapter is to present aspects of generation and gender in relation to ecological behaviour in Sweden. Past studies have compared age groups, sexes or some other classified groups in relation to attitudes and behaviour. The studies present an empirical overview. To get a deeper understanding of attitudes and behaviour we are in need of theoretical renewal with references to both classical and modern sociological theory. A way to go is to focus on value orientation instead of attitudes and to focus on the behavioural dimension of individualism-collectivism instead of specified definitions of ecological behaviour. Values stress perspectives of ethics and morals on environmental problems. The effects of a problem can to some extent by a person be judged as favorable or unfavorable either to individuals or society. It seems as if culture bound experiences during the socialisation processes are important in understanding differences between sexes and generations in aspects of value orientation and ecological behaviour. The discussion ends in a typology of actors, namely the egoistic exploiter, the egoistic conservationist, the collectivistic conservationist, the collectivistic exploiter.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

environmental values

value orientation

everyday life

sociology

sociologi

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