Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders
This study examines whether pro-environmental behavior crowds-in (associates positively with) or crowds-out (displaces) political activism. This research is part of a broader debate on the nature of individual pro-environmental behavior and whether it can be considered a political act. Studies gener...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Societies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/121 |
| _version_ | 1797469947548401664 |
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| author | Robbe Geerts Frédéric Vandermoere Hanne Dallenes Raf Vanderstraeten |
| author_facet | Robbe Geerts Frédéric Vandermoere Hanne Dallenes Raf Vanderstraeten |
| author_sort | Robbe Geerts |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines whether pro-environmental behavior crowds-in (associates positively with) or crowds-out (displaces) political activism. This research is part of a broader debate on the nature of individual pro-environmental behavior and whether it can be considered a political act. Studies generally show a positive association between pro-environmental behavior and political activism. However, few have differentiated between types of pro-environmental behavior. In contrast, our study uses Flemish survey data to examine the relationship between political activism and different modes of pro-environmental behavior: sustainable transport, shopping decisions, energy curtailment, and waste sorting. The results are generally consistent with previous studies. Political activism was positively related to sustainable transport, shopping decisions, and waste sorting. However, it was negatively associated with energy curtailment. Results thus suggest that energy curtailment may displace political action. In conclusion, by differentiating between various modes of pro-environmental behavior, our study confirms but also nuances the usefulness of concepts such as sustainable citizenship. These notions often frame individual pro-environmental behavior as part of broader political and collective strategies to address environmental issues. Our study shows that this may exclude some forms of ecologically significant behavior such as energy curtailment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:30:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d470c7bc11224ec5906179ba3bb8d138 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:30:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-d470c7bc11224ec5906179ba3bb8d1382023-11-24T02:32:57ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982022-08-0112512110.3390/soc12050121Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in FlandersRobbe Geerts0Frédéric Vandermoere1Hanne Dallenes2Raf Vanderstraeten3Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, 2, 2000 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Sociology, University of Antwerp, 2, 2000 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Sociology, University of Antwerp, 2, 2000 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Sociology, Ghent University, 3, 9000 Gent, BelgiumThis study examines whether pro-environmental behavior crowds-in (associates positively with) or crowds-out (displaces) political activism. This research is part of a broader debate on the nature of individual pro-environmental behavior and whether it can be considered a political act. Studies generally show a positive association between pro-environmental behavior and political activism. However, few have differentiated between types of pro-environmental behavior. In contrast, our study uses Flemish survey data to examine the relationship between political activism and different modes of pro-environmental behavior: sustainable transport, shopping decisions, energy curtailment, and waste sorting. The results are generally consistent with previous studies. Political activism was positively related to sustainable transport, shopping decisions, and waste sorting. However, it was negatively associated with energy curtailment. Results thus suggest that energy curtailment may displace political action. In conclusion, by differentiating between various modes of pro-environmental behavior, our study confirms but also nuances the usefulness of concepts such as sustainable citizenship. These notions often frame individual pro-environmental behavior as part of broader political and collective strategies to address environmental issues. Our study shows that this may exclude some forms of ecologically significant behavior such as energy curtailment.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/121environmentalismpolitical activismcrowding-incrowding-outsocial class |
| spellingShingle | Robbe Geerts Frédéric Vandermoere Hanne Dallenes Raf Vanderstraeten Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders Societies environmentalism political activism crowding-in crowding-out social class |
| title | Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders |
| title_full | Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders |
| title_fullStr | Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders |
| title_short | Crowding-In <i>and</i> Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders |
| title_sort | crowding in i and i crowding out studying the relationship between sustainable citizenship and political activism in flanders |
| topic | environmentalism political activism crowding-in crowding-out social class |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/121 |
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