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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Main Authors: Sheng Zeng, Lin Wu, Tianyuan Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
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.
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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
work_keys_str_mv AT shengzeng religiousidentityandpublicproenvironmentalbehaviorinchinathemediatingroleofenvironmentalriskperception
AT linwu religiousidentityandpublicproenvironmentalbehaviorinchinathemediatingroleofenvironmentalriskperception
AT tianyuanliu religiousidentityandpublicproenvironmentalbehaviorinchinathemediatingroleofenvironmentalriskperception