Variance of Motherhood Effects on Environmental Concern by Social Class

Abstract

Concern for the environment has grown drastically over the years as continuous media coverage has brought necessary attention to changes in our biosphere that have resulted from climate change and human activity (Bostrom 1994; Laidley 2013). This has driven some individuals level of environmentalism (i.e., environmental concern) to increase (Bostrom 1994; Kollmuss and Agyeman 2010). Environmental concern is a factor that drives people to participate in various pro-environmental behaviors ranging from minor acts such as recycling to environmental activism, which can then impact the level of environmental concern and behaviors of those around them (Blocker and Eckberg 1997; Hunter, Hatch, and Johnson 2004; Mobley and William 2013; Tindall, Davis, and Mauboules 2003). However, what drives individuals’ environmental behavior varies based on numerous factors such as socio-economic position or personal values and beliefs (Dietz, Kalof, and Stern 2002; Kollmuss and Agyeman 2010). Existing literature examines the effects of motherhood and social class on level of environmental concern separately but fails to recognize how it may vary when the variables are looked at together. Additionally, existing research is limited and presents mixed results. This study will expand on prior research on motherhood, social class, and environmental concerns, as well as attempt to solve the problem of earlier discrepancies within existing research. To do this, I conduct a secondary data analysis of the 2021 General Social Survey via a mean sample comparison. I find a that a mothers level of concern for the environment is contingent on their social class.

Details

Session 1

9:30am – 11:00am

Grand Salon