Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception
Although the positive relationship between religion and environmental behavior has aroused heated debate, empirical research on the relationship between religion and public pro-environmental behavior is still relatively insufficient. This paper aims to explore the group differences in the influence...
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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Series: | Religions |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/4/165 |
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author | Sheng Zeng Lin Wu Tianyuan Liu |
author_facet | Sheng Zeng Lin Wu Tianyuan Liu |
author_sort | Sheng Zeng |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Although the positive relationship between religion and environmental behavior has aroused heated debate, empirical research on the relationship between religion and public pro-environmental behavior is still relatively insufficient. This paper aims to explore the group differences in the influence of religious identity on public pro-environmental behavior and the mediating role of environmental risk perception in religious identity and public pro-environmental behavior. Using the Chinese General Social Survey data of 2013 for empirical analysis, this study’s results show that there are group differences in the impact of religious identity on public pro-environmental behavior. Women with a religious identity are more willing to engage in public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. Additionally, people over the age of 45 with a religious identity are more willing to participate in public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. Furthermore, political participants with a religious identity are more willing to practice public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. In addition, we found that environmental risk perception can act as partial mediation in religion and public pro-environmental behavior. In other words, religious identities are deeply embedded in local political and social culture. In order to correctly understand the relationship between religion and public pro-environmental behavior, it is necessary to consider religious identity in a specific cultural background. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:44:36Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-1a89b17196ab408aabcd4f51128db1d5 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2077-1444 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:44:36Z |
publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Religions |
spelling | doaj.art-1a89b17196ab408aabcd4f51128db1d52023-11-19T20:23:43ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-04-0111416510.3390/rel11040165Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk PerceptionSheng Zeng0Lin Wu1Tianyuan Liu2School of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaAlthough the positive relationship between religion and environmental behavior has aroused heated debate, empirical research on the relationship between religion and public pro-environmental behavior is still relatively insufficient. This paper aims to explore the group differences in the influence of religious identity on public pro-environmental behavior and the mediating role of environmental risk perception in religious identity and public pro-environmental behavior. Using the Chinese General Social Survey data of 2013 for empirical analysis, this study’s results show that there are group differences in the impact of religious identity on public pro-environmental behavior. Women with a religious identity are more willing to engage in public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. Additionally, people over the age of 45 with a religious identity are more willing to participate in public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. Furthermore, political participants with a religious identity are more willing to practice public pro-environmental behavior than those without a religious identity. In addition, we found that environmental risk perception can act as partial mediation in religion and public pro-environmental behavior. In other words, religious identities are deeply embedded in local political and social culture. In order to correctly understand the relationship between religion and public pro-environmental behavior, it is necessary to consider religious identity in a specific cultural background.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/4/165religious identitypublic pro-environmental behaviorenvironmental risk perceptionChina |
spellingShingle | Sheng Zeng Lin Wu Tianyuan Liu Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception Religions religious identity public pro-environmental behavior environmental risk perception China |
title | Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception |
title_full | Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception |
title_fullStr | Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception |
title_full_unstemmed | Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception |
title_short | Religious Identity and Public Pro-Environmental Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception |
title_sort | religious identity and public pro environmental behavior in china the mediating role of environmental risk perception |
topic | religious identity public pro-environmental behavior environmental risk perception China |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/4/165 |
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