The Social Analysis of Students’ Support of Tackling Policies with Climate Change

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Postdoc Researcher and Member of the Research Group of Development and Environment of Mazandaran University, Department of Development Sociology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

10.22080/jsn.2024.4946

Abstract

Climate change is as a complex risk and depends on social presentation and attitude. Therefore, it can be defined as a social phenomenon (Reser & Swin, 2010). Social sciences focus on human change and welfare and study problems such as vulnerability, adaptation, and sustainable development. People in a society discuss climate change and are aware of what they face around themselves. The purpose of present study is to analyze students’ support of policies tackling with climate change and influencing social factors. The present research used a survey method. 200 students from University of Mazandaran were selected randomly and responded to a questionnaire. Data gathered through a questionnaire were analyzed through SPSS software analyzed. According to research findings, students; support of policies tackling with climate change was positive. Also, students have positive attitudes toward the environment but the level of their knowledge toward climate change was low. Moreover, they have good knowledge of information resources of climate change. Regression analysis also shows that personal efficiency has had great effect on supporting of policies tackling with climate change.   The importance of personal efficiency was explained using programmed behavior theory arguing that various factors are involved in the formation and elaboration of good behavior. However, information and knowledge include primary factors. The various types of research show that university students are interested in collective activities to protect the environment.

Keywords


Ahadi, M. S. (2011). Climate change performance indicators 2011, Environmental Protection Organization, National Climate Change Plan Office. (in Persian).
Buckeley, H. (2000). Common Knowledge? Public understanding of climate change in Newcastle, Australia , Public Understanding of Science, 9 : 313 – 333.
Clark, C., Gaisford, J and Jones, M.(2009). Global Warming: An Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices At Rhodes University, Grahamsttwon, South Africa,http://www.ru.ac.za.
Giddens, A.(2015). The Policies of climate change,  Translated by Sadegh salehi, Tehran:  Agah publications. (In Persain)
Hanigan, J. (2014). Environmental Sociology, Translated by Sadegh Salehi, Tehran:  Samt publications. (In Persian)
Imam Gholi, L. (2011). Investigating social capital on environmental behaviors (case study: Kurdistan province), master's thesis, supervisor: Sadegh Salehi, Mazandaran University. (In Persain)
IPCC (2007). Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change, Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge Press, Cambridge.
Kellstedt, P.M., Zahran, S., and Vedlitz, A. (2008). Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes Toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the United States, Risk Analysis ,28(1): 113-126.
Jones, H. (2007). Engaging student with sustainable issues, Planet, 18: 40-44.
Lazaro, A., Cabecinhas,R and Carvalho,A. ( 2010 ). Perceptions of Climate Change Risks and Mitigation Behaviors: Understanding Inconsistencies between Representations and Actions, Journal of Risk Research, 9 (3): 265-281.
Lynn, P.(2014). Distinguishing dimensions of pr-environmental behavior, Report, Institute for social and economic research, University Essex.
Malone, E. (2002).Hot Topics: Globalization and Climate Change, Social Thought & Research, 11(5): 142-171.
Nabi Bidhandi, G.R., Mohammad Nejad, S. and Ibaadi, F. (2007). Concepts and consequences of climate change with a review of Kyoto protocol considerations, Tehran: Tehran University. (in Persian).
Nigatu, A.S., Asamoah, B., and Kloos, H.(2014). Knowledge and perceptions about the health impact of climate change among health sciences students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study, BMC Public Health, 14, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-587.
Pazukinejad, Z. (2012). Investigating social factors affecting students' understanding of global climate change, master's thesis, supervisor: Sadegh Salehi, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mazandaran University. (In Persian).
Payne, K. (2013). The effects of self-efficacy on pro-environmental intentions, The Plymouth Student Scientist, 6(1): 224-238.
Reser, J., and Swim, J. (2010). Adapting to and Coping With the Treat and Impacts of Climate Change, fromwww98.griffith.edu.au.
Rieckmann, M. (2012). Future-oriented higher education: Which key competencies should be fostered through university teaching and learning? Futures, 44(2): 127-135.
Roninson, J., Berkhout,T and Campbell,A.(2011). The universities as an agent of change for sustainability, from www.horizons.gc.ca, (26/Agu, 2023): 1-6.
Rideout, B. E. (2014). The liberal arts and environmental awareness: Exploring endorsement of an environmental worldview in college students, International Journal of Environmental & science Education, 9(2014): 59-76.
Salehi, S. (2010). A new attitude towards the environment and energy consumption, the quarterly journal of the Iranian Association for Cultural Studies, Communication, 6th year, number 20: 196-216. (In Persian).
Salehi, S; Mahmoudi, H; Dibai, N and Karimzadeh, S. (2012). An analysis of the relationship between new environmental attitudes and household energy consumption, Journal of Environmental Sciences,  9(9): 117-122. (In Persian).
Salehi, S; Khoshfar, G., and Hemti Goimi, Z. (2012). Investigating women's attitude towards household waste recycling in Mazandaran, research project, Mazandaran University. (In Persian).
Salehi, S. and Pazukinejad, Z. (2013). An analysis of students' theoretical and practical knowledge and social factors affecting it, Journal of Geography and Planning, 19(54): 171-184. (In Persian).
Salehi, S. and Pazukinejad, Z. (2012). Examining the environmental attitude of students of higher education centers in Mazandaran province, the third international conference on environmental management and planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, February 2012. (In Persian).
Salehi, S. and Pazukinejad, Z. (2014a). Social assessment of non-meteorological students' knowledge of climate change, Journal of Applied Research in Geographical Sciences, 14(33): 171-194. (In Persian).
Salehi, S. and Pazukinejad, Z. (2014b). Analysis of social factors affecting students' environmental attitudes and performance, Applied Sociology, 25(3): 88-76. (In Persian).
Spellman, G., Field, K., and Sinclair, J. (2003). Assessing UK higher education students’ awareness of global climatic change, Weather,58(10): 212-219.
Sutton, P. W. (2012). An introduction to environmental sociology, translated by Sadegh Salehi, Tehran: Samt Publications(In Persian).
Urry, J. (2011). Society and climate change, London: Polity Press.
Wachholz, S , Artz, N., and    Chene, D. (2014) .Warming to the idea: university students' knowledge and attitudes about climate change, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 15 (2): 128-141.