Human Action and the Institution of Domestic Waste Management: Mathematical and Quantitative Sociology for Resolving Environmental Problems

本研究的目的在于解决垃圾领域的社会两难问题。社会困境是这样一种情况：群体中的每个成员都有动力做出选择，而如果没有人做出选择，他们得到的结果会比他们得到的更差。我们在日本四个城市(仙台、名古屋、水田和龟石)进行了《日本居民的浪费意识和环保行为》调查。顺便说一句，日本基本上有两种废物管理或回收系统。第一个系统依靠技术处理，分类方案中的可回收材料种类较少，从而降低了居民的分类成本。我们称这个系统为“粗分离回收系统”。仙台和龟石采用了这样的废物管理系统。第二个制度取决于居民的努力。因此，S…中的类别数量可回收材料的回收方案较多。我们称这个系统为“精细分离回收系统”。名古屋和水田都有这样的系统。基于这些问卷调查数据，我们用数学和/或定量的方法分析了这些制度和个人行为的影响。研究结果如下：(1)我们分析了实证科学中对社会困境的概念化，发现约20%的受访者认为生活垃圾问题是社会困境。(2)公共规范对于解决社会两难问题具有重要意义。(3)垃圾管理体制的特点影响着个体的成本意识、对垃圾管理体制的评价和地方政府的政策。(4)细分类回收的城市居民对垃圾管理制度和地方政府政策的评价高于粗分类回收的城市居民。(5)垃圾管理系统的特点影响了对他人对回收行为贡献的估计。较少

The purpose of this research is to solve the social dilemma problems in the field of waste problem. Social dilemmas are situations in which each member of a group has incentive to make a choice that provides poorer outcomes for all than they would have received if none had made the choice. We conducted the survey on "the Consciousness of Waste and Pro-Environmental Behaviors among Residents, Japan" in four cities in Japan (Sendai, Nagoya, Minamata, and Kamaishi). Incidentally, there are basically two types of waste management or recycling systems in Japan. The first system depends on technological treatment with small number of the categories in the separation scheme of the recyclable materials, which leads to the reduction of the separation cost by the residents. We call this system the "rough-separation recycling system." Sendai and Kamaishi adopt such waste management system. The second system depends on the effort by the residents. As a result, the number of the categories in the s … More eparation scheme of the recyclable materials is large. We call this system the "fine-separation recycling system." Nagoya and Minamata have such system. Based on these questionnaire surveys data, we analyzed the influence of these system and individual behavior in terms of mathematical and/or quantitative methods.The findings are as follows : (1)we analyzed the conceptualization of social dilemmas in empirical science, and found that about 20 percent of respondents think the household waste problem as social dilemma. (2)Public norm is important to solve the social dilemma problem. (3)The feature of the waste management system affects the individual consciousness of cost, evaluation of the waste management system, and policy of local governments. (4)The evaluation of the waste management system and the policy of local government is higher among the residents who live in the city with fine-separation recycling system than among the residents with rough-separation recycling system. (5)The feature of the waste management system affects the estimate of others' contribution to recycling behaviors. Less