Improving Ourselves and Improving Our World A Case Study of Environmentalism and Environmental Action of New College Students

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Brain, David

Keywords

Environmentalism, Activism, Social Movements, Democracy, Society, New College, Behavior, Environment, Public Participation, Education, Civic Engagement

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

This study explores how New College students interpret, define and approach the state of the environment, environmentalism and environmentally oriented action. In particular, I look at the degree to which students are concerned about the environment and I look at the extent to which they are engaged in various forms of environmentally oriented action. Also, through interviews with New College students and through library research I examine numerous factors that affect concern and action. In the study I find that students' concern for the environment and their beliefs as to what they should be doing to help it often do not match up with their actions and behaviors. Thus, throughout the paper I focus on what keeps those concerned from being more environmentally responsible and engaged. I find through doing the study that students are very environmentally aware and somewhat engaged on a basic, personal level. I also find that they're highly aware of large-scale national and global environmental issues and approaches to solving environmental problems on those levels. However, students seemed to be highly unaware and unengaged on the middle, community level. I address this issue in some depth in my final discussion, arguing that at New College environmentally oriented engagement needs to be promoted much more on the institutional level.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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