Investigating the Impact of Social Capital on Environmental Behavior (Case Study: Tourists in Sharabil Lake, Ardebil)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Environmental Sociology and Director of Tourism Planning and Development Magazine

2 Faculty member See

3 Mazandaran University/ Ardabil

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assessment of the effect of social capital on environmental behaviors of tourists in Shourabil lake of Ardebil. Research method of this study is a descriptive-analytical one which is a part of applied research. Statistical population is Shourabil lake’s tourists and the sampling is a convenience one. Data were collected through Cho and Kanga’s used questionnary that it’s validity and reliability has been calculated. In addition, in order to assessment the research hypothesis, structural equations technique was used by Amos software. The results show that the tourists’ social capital plays an important role in environmental behaviors. Social capital, also, has an important role on the feelings of tourists community, even though, it doesn’t effect on the attitude towards environment. On the other hand, the feeling towards community plays an important role In the attitude towards environment, but it doesn’t play a role in environmental behaviors. In addition, environmental attitudes, also, effect on environmental behaviors.
From the findings of this research, we conclude that social capital, especially trust in tourists and generally in society, should be fortified for improvement of people`s behaviors toward environment, and promoting of responsibly environmental manners.

Keywords

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211.
Amérigo, M., Aragonés, J. I., de Frutos, B., Sevillano, V., & Cortés, B. (2007). Underlying Dimensions of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Environmental Beliefs. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 97-103.
Cho, S., & Kang, H. (2016). Putting Behavior Into Context Exploring the Contours of Social Capital Influences on Environmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 1-31.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social Capital in The Creation of Human Capital. American
Journal of Sociology, 94, 95-120.
Dulal, H. B., Foa, R., & Knowles, S. (2011). Social Capital and Cross-Country Environmental Performance. The Journal of Environment & Development, 20(2), 121-144.
Dunlap, R. E., & Van Liere, K. D. (1978). The New Environmental Paradigm: A Proposed Measuring Instrument and Preliminary Results. Journal of Environmental Education, 9, 10-19.
Grafton, R. Q., & Knowles, S. (2004). Social Capital and National EnvironmentalPerformance: a Cross-Sectional Analysis. The Journal of Environment & Development, 13(4), 336-370.
Jones, N. (2010). "Environmental Activation of Citizens in The Context of Policy Agenda Formation and The Influence of Social Capital". The Social Science Journal, 47(1), 121-136.
Klyza, C. M., Isham, J., & Savage, A. (2006). Local Environmental Groups and The Creation of Social Capital: Evidence from Vermont. Society and Natural Resources, 19(10), 905-919.
Krasny, M. E., Kalbacker, L., Stedman, R. C., & Russ, A. (2015). Measuring Social Capital Among Youth: Applications in Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 21(1), 1-23.
LaLone, M. B. (2012). Neighbors Helping Neighbors an Examination of The Social Capital Mobilization Process for Community Resilience to Environmental Disasters. Journal of Applied Social Science, 6(2), 209-237.
Liu, J., Qu, H., Huang, D., Chen, G., Yue, X., Zhao, X., & Liang, Z. (2014). The Role of Social Capital in Encouraging Residents' Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Community-Based Ecotourism. Tourism Management, 41, 190-201.
Lubell, M. (2002). Environmental Activism as Collective Action. Environment and
Behavior, 34, 431-454.
Macias, T., & Nelson, E. (2011). A Social Capital Basis for Environmental Concern: Evidence from Northern New England. Rural sociology, 76(4), 562-581.
Macias, T., & Williams, K. (2014). Know your Neighbors, Save the Planet: Social
Capital and The Widening Wedge of Pro-Environmental Outcomes. Environment
and Behavior, 48, 391-420.
Markle, G. L. (2013). Pro-Environmental Behavior: Does it Matter How It’s Measured? Development and Validation of The Pro-Environmental Behavior Scale (PEBS). Human ecology, 41(6), 905-914.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000). Promoting Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to
Community-Based Social Marketing. Journal of Social Issues, 56,543-554.
MacMillan, D., & Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of community: A Definition and Theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 6-23.
Miller, E., & Buys, L. (2008). The Role of Social Capital in Predicting and Promoting ‘Feelings of Responsibility’for Local Environmental Issues in an Australian Community. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 15(4), 231-240.
Morrison, M., Oczkowski, E., & Greig, J. (2011). The Primacy of Human Capital and Social Capital in Influencing Landholders’ Participation in Programmes Designed to Improve Environmental Outcomes. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 55(4), 560-578.
Olli, E., Grendstad, G., & Wollebaek, D. (2001). Correlates of Environmental Behaviors Bringing Back social Context. Environment and behavior, 33(2), 181-208.
Park, S. Y., & Sohn, S. H. (2012). Exploring the Normative Influences of Social Norms on Individual Environmental Behavior. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 22(2), 183-194.
Putnam. R. (2000), Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community New York, Simon & Schuster.
Putnam R.D (1993). Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy Princeton. N.J. Princeton university press.
Pretty, J. (2003). Social Capital and the Collective Management of Resources. Science, 302, 1912-1914.
Pretty, J., & Ward, H. (2001). Social Capital and The Environment. World Development, 29, 209-227.
Reed, C., Campbell, A., George, M., Leuenberger, D., & McCarty, J. (2015). Social Capital in Large-Scale Environmental Collaboration: The Case of The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. Water Policy, 17(3), 472-483.
Salehi, Sadegh)2010(“Pepole and The Environment: A Study of Environmental Attitudes and Behaviour in Iran” LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
Schultz, P.W. (2001). The Structure of Environmental Concern: Concern for Self, Other People, and The Biosphere. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21,327-339.
Scott, D., & Willits, F. (1994). Environmental Attitudes and Behavior: A Pennsylvania Survey. Environment and Behavior, 26, 239-260.
Sønderskov, K. M. (2009). Different Goods, Different Effects: Exploring the Effects of Generalized Social Trust in Large-N Collective Action. Public Choice, 140, 145-160.
Stern, P. C. 2000. Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior.Journal of Social Issues. 56: 407–424.
Stern, P.C., & Dietz, T. (1994). The Value Basis of Environmental Concern. Journal of Social Issues, 5,65-84.
Thompson, S.C.G., & Barton, M. (1994). Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Toward the Environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 14, 149-157.
Videras, J., Owen, A. L., Conover, E., & Wu, S. (2012). The Influence of Social Relationships on Pro-Environment Behaviors. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 63, 35-50.
Wakefield, S. E., Elliott, S. J., Eyles, J. D., & Cole, D. C. (2006). Taking Environmental Action: The Role of Local Composition, Context, and Collective. Environmental Management, 37(1), 40-53.
Wall, E., Ferrazzi, G., & Schryer, F. (1998). Getting the Goods on Social Capital1. Rural sociology, 63(2), 300-322.
World Bank (2004)Social Capital PovertyNetwebsite, The World Bank, http://www1.worldbank.org/.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211.
Amérigo, M., Aragonés, J. I., de Frutos, B., Sevillano, V., & Cortés, B. (2007). Underlying Dimensions of Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Environmental Beliefs. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 97-103.
Cho, S., & Kang, H. (2016). Putting Behavior Into Context Exploring the Contours of Social Capital Influences on Environmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 1-31.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social Capital in The Creation of Human Capital. American
Journal of Sociology, 94, 95-120.
Dulal, H. B., Foa, R., & Knowles, S. (2011). Social Capital and Cross-Country Environmental Performance. The Journal of Environment & Development, 20(2), 121-144.
Dunlap, R. E., & Van Liere, K. D. (1978). The New Environmental Paradigm: A Proposed Measuring Instrument and Preliminary Results. Journal of Environmental Education, 9, 10-19.
Grafton, R. Q., & Knowles, S. (2004). Social Capital and National EnvironmentalPerformance: a Cross-Sectional Analysis. The Journal of Environment & Development, 13(4), 336-370.
Jones, N. (2010). "Environmental Activation of Citizens in The Context of Policy Agenda Formation and The Influence of Social Capital". The Social Science Journal, 47(1), 121-136.
Klyza, C. M., Isham, J., & Savage, A. (2006). Local Environmental Groups and The Creation of Social Capital: Evidence from Vermont. Society and Natural Resources, 19(10), 905-919.
Krasny, M. E., Kalbacker, L., Stedman, R. C., & Russ, A. (2015). Measuring Social Capital Among Youth: Applications in Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 21(1), 1-23.
LaLone, M. B. (2012). Neighbors Helping Neighbors an Examination of The Social Capital Mobilization Process for Community Resilience to Environmental Disasters. Journal of Applied Social Science, 6(2), 209-237.
Liu, J., Qu, H., Huang, D., Chen, G., Yue, X., Zhao, X., & Liang, Z. (2014). The Role of Social Capital in Encouraging Residents' Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Community-Based Ecotourism. Tourism Management, 41, 190-201.
Lubell, M. (2002). Environmental Activism as Collective Action. Environment and
Behavior, 34, 431-454.
Macias, T., & Nelson, E. (2011). A Social Capital Basis for Environmental Concern: Evidence from Northern New England. Rural sociology, 76(4), 562-581.
Macias, T., & Williams, K. (2014). Know your Neighbors, Save the Planet: Social
Capital and The Widening Wedge of Pro-Environmental Outcomes. Environment
and Behavior, 48, 391-420.
Markle, G. L. (2013). Pro-Environmental Behavior: Does it Matter How It’s Measured? Development and Validation of The Pro-Environmental Behavior Scale (PEBS). Human ecology, 41(6), 905-914.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000). Promoting Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to
Community-Based Social Marketing. Journal of Social Issues, 56,543-554.
MacMillan, D., & Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of community: A Definition and Theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 6-23.
Miller, E., & Buys, L. (2008). The Role of Social Capital in Predicting and Promoting ‘Feelings of Responsibility’for Local Environmental Issues in an Australian Community. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 15(4), 231-240.
Morrison, M., Oczkowski, E., & Greig, J. (2011). The Primacy of Human Capital and Social Capital in Influencing Landholders’ Participation in Programmes Designed to Improve Environmental Outcomes. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 55(4), 560-578.
Olli, E., Grendstad, G., & Wollebaek, D. (2001). Correlates of Environmental Behaviors Bringing Back social Context. Environment and behavior, 33(2), 181-208.
Park, S. Y., & Sohn, S. H. (2012). Exploring the Normative Influences of Social Norms on Individual Environmental Behavior. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 22(2), 183-194.
Putnam. R. (2000), Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community New York, Simon & Schuster.
Putnam R.D (1993). Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy Princeton. N.J. Princeton university press.
Pretty, J. (2003). Social Capital and the Collective Management of Resources. Science, 302, 1912-1914.
Pretty, J., & Ward, H. (2001). Social Capital and The Environment. World Development, 29, 209-227.
Reed, C., Campbell, A., George, M., Leuenberger, D., & McCarty, J. (2015). Social Capital in Large-Scale Environmental Collaboration: The Case of The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. Water Policy, 17(3), 472-483.
Salehi, Sadegh)2010(“Pepole and The Environment: A Study of Environmental Attitudes and Behaviour in Iran” LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
Schultz, P.W. (2001). The Structure of Environmental Concern: Concern for Self, Other People, and The Biosphere. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21,327-339.
Scott, D., & Willits, F. (1994). Environmental Attitudes and Behavior: A Pennsylvania Survey. Environment and Behavior, 26, 239-260.
Sønderskov, K. M. (2009). Different Goods, Different Effects: Exploring the Effects of Generalized Social Trust in Large-N Collective Action. Public Choice, 140, 145-160.
Stern, P. C. 2000. Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior.Journal of Social Issues. 56: 407–424.
Stern, P.C., & Dietz, T. (1994). The Value Basis of Environmental Concern. Journal of Social Issues, 5,65-84.
Thompson, S.C.G., & Barton, M. (1994). Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Toward the Environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 14, 149-157.
Videras, J., Owen, A. L., Conover, E., & Wu, S. (2012). The Influence of Social Relationships on Pro-Environment Behaviors. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 63, 35-50.
Wakefield, S. E., Elliott, S. J., Eyles, J. D., & Cole, D. C. (2006). Taking Environmental Action: The Role of Local Composition, Context, and Collective. Environmental Management, 37(1), 40-53.
Wall, E., Ferrazzi, G., & Schryer, F. (1998). Getting the Goods on Social Capital1. Rural sociology, 63(2), 300-322.
World Bank (2004)Social Capital PovertyNetwebsite, The World Bank, http://www1.worldbank.org/.
Journal of Tourism Planning and Development
Volume 9, Issue 34
December 2020
Pages 145-160

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