What explains behaviors and attitudes towards neighborhood environments? An integrated model of individual responses to urban environmental problems.
Item
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Title
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What explains behaviors and attitudes towards neighborhood environments? An integrated model of individual responses to urban environmental problems.
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Identifier
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AAI3296950
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identifier
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3296950
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Creator
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Benitez, Lymari.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Susan Saegert
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Date
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2008
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social | Sociology, Public and Social Welfare | Environmental Sciences
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Abstract
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Urban scholars argue that a strong link exists between civic engagement, informal ties, community identity and environmental problems. However, there is considerable disagreement on how these relationships emerged and affect different dynamics impacting people's decision to participate in environmental improvement activities. For this reason, the purpose of this cross-sectional study is to better understand the relationships between perception of environmental problems and neighborhood dynamics in explaining people's responses to environmental problems. In this study, an environmental psychology framework was adopted which suggested that environmental problems emerge as a result of dialectic interactions between people and places. This framework allowed considering hypotheses and explanations relating neighborhood environmental problems to neighborhood dynamics from different disciplines.;To understand these relationships, a survey instrument was developed taking into consideration relevant topics identified by the literature as contributors to environmental awareness and actions. The sample for the survey consisted of 408 community college students from the City University of New York (CUNY) where more than half of the student population is part of an ethnic minority group and have low incomes. The neighborhoods where the survey respondents live as well as their socio-demographic characteristics were identified to provide a context to interpret descriptive statistics and the structural equation analysis.;The results of this study revealed that when people perceived a good quality of life in their neighborhood, they develop stronger emotional connections with the area and are more likely to have social relations with neighbors. In addition, the findings suggest that environmental problems need to be visible and perceived as a threat for people to develop a respond. The SEM developed supports the argument that neighborhood revitalization activities should include aspects of place-based redevelopment and people-focused strategies for them to be successful. However, the impact and applicability of this study is limited due to issues related to sampling method and the contextualization of the variables under study. Regardless of its limitations, this research provides evidence that neighborhood social and place dynamics interactions influence people's responses to environmental problems.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
