Perceived Socioeconomic Status as a Predictor of Environmental Concern in African and Developed Countries

Journal of Environmental Psychology, Forthcoming

31 Pages Posted: 26 May 2016

See all articles by Iddisah Sulemana

Iddisah Sulemana

University of Ghana

Harvey S. James, Jr.

University of Missouri at Columbia - Division of Applied Social Sciences

Corinne Valdivia

University of Missouri at Columbia - College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Date Written: April 2016

Abstract

An important literature examines the determinants of environmental concern within and across countries. The debate on whether affluence explains variations in environmental concern remains unsettled. An increasing number of studies acknowledge the importance of individual level characteristics as predictors of environmental concern. In this paper, we examine the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status and environmental concern among residents of less developed and developed countries. Our results show that in both less developed and developed countries, individual perceptions about their socioeconomic status are positively correlated with environmental concern. Specifically, aside from choosing environmental protection over economic growth and job creation, we find that people who perceive themselves as belonging to the working class, lower middle, upper middle and upper class are significantly more willing to make income sacrifices to prevent environmental pollution than those who believe they are in the lower class.

Keywords: Environmental Concern, Environmental Protection, Environmental Quality, Perceived Socioeconomic Status, Willingness to Sacrifice Income

JEL Classification: O44, Q50, Q53, Q56

Suggested Citation

Sulemana, Iddisah and James, Harvey S. and Valdivia, Corinne, Perceived Socioeconomic Status as a Predictor of Environmental Concern in African and Developed Countries (April 2016). Journal of Environmental Psychology, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2783840

Iddisah Sulemana

University of Ghana ( email )

Department of Economics
P. O. Box LG 57
Accra, Greater Accra 00233
Ghana

Harvey S. James (Contact Author)

University of Missouri at Columbia - Division of Applied Social Sciences ( email )

Columbia, MO
United States
573-884-9682 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://hsjames2.wordpress.com

Corinne Valdivia

University of Missouri at Columbia - College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources ( email )

United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
61
Abstract Views
539
Rank
637,858
PlumX Metrics