Ecological literacy and psychographics: lifestyle contributors to ecological knowledge and understanding
Ecological literacy and psychographics: lifestyle contributors to ecological knowledge and understanding
复制标题
生态素养和心理统计：生活方式对生态知识和理解的贡献
DOI：
10.1080/13504509.2017.1333047
复制
发表时间：
2018
影响因子：
5.6
通讯作者：
P. Sutton
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Sheryn D. Pitman;C. Daniels;P. Sutton
摘要 关于地球生态系统如何支持生命的知识和理解构成了生态素养的基础，而生态素养反过来又对可持续发展至关重要。人们普遍担心，许多当代人类社会的生态素养水平太低，无法就如何可持续生活做出有效的决策。本文介绍并讨论了南澳大利亚成年人生态素养评估的结果。该评估测试了对生态系统及其与人类社会相互联系的知识和理解。分析揭示了评估分数与一系列基于价值观和行为特征之间的显着关系。这些特征包括对自然的重视、在户外和大自然中度过的时间、参与基于自然的活动以及对生态知识和理解的感知来源。较高的平均分与参与户外活动、户外活动对享受生活的重要性、自然在家庭中的重要性、志愿者环境活动和种植食物等方面的较高价值相关。较高的分数还与高等教育、研究活动、户外生活方式、当地经历、志愿者活动、导师和同事以及书籍和杂志相关。那些认为媒体、自然灾害和环境营销是其生态知识的主要贡献者的人得分较低。这些发现有助于对生态素养与一系列社会人口和心理特征之间的关系进行更广泛的研究。它们邀请任何重视有能力做出可持续环境决策的知情人群参与的社会认真考虑。
ABSTRACT Knowledge and understanding about how the ecological systems of the Earth support life form the foundation for ecological literacy, which, in turn, is of critical importance for sustainability. There is widespread concern that levels of ecological literacy within many contemporary human societies are too low to enable effective decision-making about how to live sustainably. This paper presents and discusses the findings of an ecological literacy assessment of South Australian adults. The assessment tested for knowledge and understanding of ecological systems and interconnections with human society. Analyses revealed significant relationships between assessment scores and a range of value-based and behavioural characteristics. Such characteristics included the value placed on nature, time spent outdoors and in nature, involvement in nature-based activities, and perceived sources of ecological knowledge and understanding. Higher average scores were correlated with higher values accorded to involvement in outdoor activities, importance of the outdoors to enjoyment of life, importance of nature in the household, volunteer environmental activity and growing food. Higher scores were also correlated with higher education, research activities, outdoor lifestyles, place-based experiences, volunteer activities, mentors and colleagues, and books and magazines. Lower scores were achieved by those who considered media, natural disasters and environmental marketing to be major contributors to their ecological knowledge. These findings contribute to a broader study of the relationships between ecological literacy and a range of both socio-demographic and psychographic characteristics. They invite serious consideration from any society that values the participation of an informed population with the capacity to make sustainable environmental decisions.